Updated guidance for visiting health trust and mental health services in Preston and Lancashire

Entrance to Royal Preston Hospital Pic: Blog Preston

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) has updated its visiting guidance.

Throughout the pandemic precautions have been in place to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors at sites across Lancashire and South Cumbria. LSCft have recently updated their visiting guidance to support greater access for visitors. The following guidelines are in place:

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Visits must be booked beforehand by ringing the main reception of the hospital you are planning to visit, and you must not be Covid-19 positive or have any symptoms
Visiting times are generally between 1-5pm, dependent on location, and will be for 45 minutes to allow for necessary cleaning to take place in between visitors
Before visiting, visitors are advised to ensure they have a negative test result, from a Lateral Flow Test kit

Anyone who wishes to visit must ensure:

They are not Covid-19 positive or have any Covid-19 symptoms, such as a fever or a new continuous dry cough
They are not isolating as a result of contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive
They have not been contacted by Test and Trace to say they are a contact of a Covid-19 positive patient
They are not clinically vulnerable due to upcoming surgery
There are no local or national lockdown restrictions in place which would affect visiting

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Whilst on Trust premises visitors must:

Wear surgical face masks (unless exempt) – available on site
Undertake regular handwashing or use of hand gel
Follow advice and guidance from staff
Wipe down any items being given to the patient
Follow any one-way systems in place
Adhere to social distancing measures and avoid congregating in any areas eg. reception, outside entrances, or in cafes
Safely dispose of face masks after the visit

These safety protections are in place to limit the risk of any spread of Covid-19.

Maria Nelligan, Executive Director of Nursing and Quality at Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Maria Nelligan, Chief Nursing and Quality Officer at LSCft, said: “It has been a difficult time for all involved during the pandemic. Whilst visiting has continued, with various levels of restrictions, throughout the pandemic we welcome this updated guidance to further encourage visiting within LSCFT.

“While visits are best taking place outside where transmission risk is very low, visits inside our hospitals are possible.

“We continue to remain cautious and urge everyone who visits to follow our safety precautions to ensure any risk of Covid-19 spread is as low as possible.

“We know how important it is for visits to take place and encourage these, whilst adhering to associated safety measures, for the well-being of patients and their families.”

The latest covid stats in your area can be seen below

The Trust is also asking for volunteers to meet and greet visitors on arrival. The volunteers will assist with signing in to sites and help to lower the risk of any Covid-19 spread.

Volunteers can register their interest online.

Lateral flow tests can be ordered via gov.uk