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Information for visitors

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Visiting arrangements at Bradford Teaching Hospitals

Relatives’ line opening times changing

From Monday, 7 November, the relatives’ line will be open five days a week, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, instead of a seven day service.

All visitors to wards and clinical areas must wear a mask to protect our patients and staff from the spread of Covid-19 and other infections.

We also recommend washing your hands or using hand gel frequently and maintaining social distancing where possible.

General Hospital Wards:

  • All visitors over the age of 12-years-old should wear a water repellent hospital grade facemask whilst in ward areas. This is in line with Government guidance.
  • All children under 12-years-old should be asymptomatic of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 72 hours prior to visiting.

Green and Red Wards:

All ward areas classed as Green and Red can now accept visitors as follows:

  • All patients can have two one hour visits a day from two people per visit.
  • Visits should be booked via the ward direct.
  • Visitors must wear masks on wards and may be requested to wear aprons or gloves.

Ultra-Green Wards:

  • Patients on ultra-green wards will now be able to have daily visits as agreed by the ward. With any planned visitors being asked to adhere to strict social distance, mask wearing and hand washing and avoid visits if displaying any signs of being unwell.
  • Ultra-green day case- please contact the area before visiting.

Children’s Wards:

  • Both parents can now visit the ward at the same time.
  • All patients can have two visits each day of up to an hour from two people between 2-7pm (which includes siblings), bookable directly with the ward.
  • A maximum of two people should be at the bedside at any one time for social distancing.
  • Visitors /siblings should not attend if they have a temperature, cough, vomiting, diarrhoea or any other infection.
  • Any sibling over the age of 12-years-old will need to wear a water fluid resistant surgical mask.

The Meadows

  • Patients receiving chemotherapy and in the outpatient department  can have one adult to accompany them- masks will be required.

Accident & Emergency Department:

  • Where capacity in the department allows, all patients can be accompanied by one person.

Neonatal Unit (NNU):

  • As partners in care, parents of baby are always welcome on the Neonatal Unit at any time.
  • Grandparents (or named adults up to a maximum of 4) can visit between 12pm and 7pm.
  • Siblings of baby can also visit but children (0-18 years of age) who are not brothers or sisters of the baby are not allowed.
  • To maintain social distancing and prevent overcrowding on the unit, the number of additional adult visitors is restricted to 2 at the cot side, and visiting should be limited to 1-2 hours.
  • Visitors /siblings should not attend if they have a temperature, cough, vomiting, diarrhoea or any other infection (including chickenpox or unexplained rash).
  • All adults and any sibling over the age of 12-years-old will need to wear a water fluid resistant surgical mask. All staff and visitors need to follow the unit hand hygiene policy.
  • NNU are also able to provide a virtual link to help remote visiting.

Maternity

General hospital wards:

  • All visitors over the age of 12-years-old should wear a water repellent hospital grade facemask whilst in ward areas. This is in line with Government guidance.
  • All children under 12-years-old should be asymptomatic of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 72 hours prior to visiting.

Maternity visiting:

  • Labour ward and birth centre –two birth partners are permitted.

Visiting for M3 & M4 are:

  • One support visitor is permitted from 8am-8pm (no swapping allowed).
  • Two visiting sessions are available during which two people can be present on the ward (including the support person) between 1-2pm and 6-7pm daily. Visitors must be aged 16-years-old or over. No swapping of visitors permitted.
  • The woman’s own children (under the age of 16) may visit once she has been admitted for more than 72 hours. However this visit has to be pre-arranged with the ward and visits will take place in the day room during the set visiting times. All children under 12-years-old should be asymptomatic of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 72 hours prior to visiting.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU):

  • ICU will continue with their appointment-based system.
  • All patients can have one visit each day of up to an hour from two people, bookable directly with the ward (with the exception if the patient is end-of-life).

Outpatient visits:

  • Outpatients can now be accompanied by one adult per appointment.

Keeping in touch with loved-ones

In the short films below we explain more about the measures we’ve introduced at Bradford Teaching Hospitals to help you keep in touch and be there for your loved-ones during this difficult time.

The films are available in English, Urdu, Polish, Pahari/Punjabi and Czech/Slovak.

We’ve also recorded a digital audio file in Pahari for blind and partially-sighted people on the ways you can keep in touch with loved-ones in our hospitals.

English

English

BSL

English

Coronavirus: national guidance on attending our hospitals

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you’re staying at home. Read the advice about staying at home

For urgent advice: use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service: www.111.nhs.uk/covid-19 if: 

  • you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
  • your condition gets worse
  • your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

Patients should attend their appointments as usual, unless we contact you direct or you have a cough and/or high temperature.

Due to operational pressures, we may have to reschedule some planned operations to allow staff to focus on those who need urgent care. 

Some outpatient appointments may also change from face-to-face appointments to telephone consultations to avoid patients coming into hospital.

If you are affected by these changes we will contact you by phone or text. Unless you hear from us, please attend your appointment. We are taking all necessary steps to try to keep any disruption for patients to an absolute minimum.

Wash your hands frequently

You should wash your hands for 20 seconds, using soap and water.

Make sure you are washing your hands effectively by watching this video: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/

Face masks

Visitors to Bradford Teaching Hospitals and people attending  appointments must wear a face mask in clinical areas at all times to protect them and others from coronavirus. It is important masks and face coverings are worn safely. For more information, please watch the video (English language and Urdu versions) below.

Learning disabilities and PPE

Our Lead Nurse for Learning Disabilities, Caroline Carass, and Ruth Foster, Bradford District Care Trust’s Learning Disabilities Community Matron have produced this video about the personal protective equipment (PPE) staff wear on our wards.

Coronavirus: change to visiting rules

We fully understand that you may have been unable to visit loved-ones in our hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

Our Relatives’ Telephone Information Line takes calls for some of our wards. Please contact the ward or relatives’ line to see if the clinical area in question is using this service. Please call 01274 272747 from 10am to 6pm.

Please watch the short film below (available in English and Urdu) for more information on visiting. Further details on exceptional visiting circumstances can be found here.

End-of-life visiting

In the short film below Chief Nurse, Karen Dawber, and Kez Hayat, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, explain more in both English and Urdu.

Contacting a patient

When ringing about a patient, please give the number of the ward they are on. It’s also helpful if only one person telephones with an enquiry, as this saves time and helps ensure nursing and ward staff are not running back and forth answering the phone. We do not have enough telephone lines for patients to take incoming calls, but we can take a message and ask a patient to call you back if they are able to do so.

Except in emergencies, please try to phone after 10am wherever possible. We cannot give medical information over the telephone.

  • Supporting relatives with technology poster

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