Effective immediately, those attending antenatal appointments at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) may now attend with one other adult.
Patients must wear an appropriate face covering at all times and adhere to socially distanced seating in the waiting area. Due to current restrictions, colleagues ask that children do not attend.
Abigail Trainer, Director of Nursing at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), said: “This has been a challenging time for all staff and patients in the trust and many patients have had to adjust to stricter regulations on appointment visits.
“After a recent review of guidance, I am pleased to announce that antenatal patients can now attend appointments with one other adult.”
Antenatal visits are particularly important for patients in order to create a plan of care for pregnancy and to regularly check both mother and baby are healthy.
Abigail continues: “We ask that individuals read guidance thoroughly as it will continue to be reviewed and adapted as the COVID-19 landscape evolves.
“It is incredibly important that visitors to our sites adhere to our existing restrictions: wear an appropriate face covering, wash hands regularly and do not attend if you have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting or a temperature.
General visiting information can be viewed here: https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/
At present, the following restrictions are in place across the Trusts three main hospital sites in Bassetlaw, Doncaster and Mexborough:
- Adult inpatients– One named visitor per person for one hour a day. Visitors must have their temperature taken and they must complete the screening questions on arrival. There will be a booking system so that there is only one person per bay visiting at any one time and a record of visitors will be kept for test and trace purposes.
- End of Life Care– Open visiting is still available for patients receiving End of Life care – However, all visitors will need to follow the screening process above. Please call ahead and the team will endeavour to facilitate larger families.
- Learning disabilities, complex needs and those with dementia – Two named visitors are permitted but at different times (only one visitor at a time). However, these visitors are not restricted to one hour.
- Elective surgery and procedures– All visiting must be conducted virtually (via a phone, tablet or laptop), and is only permitted on compassionate grounds. If unsure, call the service you wish to visit.
- Paediatric care– One parent/guardian must stay within the Observation Unit whilst the child is undergoing assessment and awaiting a decision regarding admission/discharge. Two parents/guardians are allowed to visit if the child is an inpatient within the Children’s Ward.
- Maternity services– Full guidance is available here: https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/non-essential-visiting-suspended/maternity-services-visiting-covid-19/
- Outpatients– For those attending for an appointment, one individual may accompany, however please note that they may be asked to leave if social distancing becomes a problem. If unsure, please call ahead.
- Emergency Department (A&E)– No visitors are permitted in ED apart from in exceptional circumstances. Please discuss with Nurse in charge for adult patients if they fall into the category above (end of life care and learning disabilities/complex needs)
An exception to this updated guidance applies to those patients who are undergoing an elective surgery and procedure, where individuals are still encouraged to maintain contact virtually. Concessions will be permitted on compassionate grounds, and anyone unsure is encouraged to call ahead.