Visiting arrangements at Alder Hey

Visiting arrangements at Alder Hey

2nd Apr 2020

In order to protect patients, staff and the public we are introducing new visiting arrangements. We want to maintain contact and support between patients and their families and carers, whilst ensuring that we take measures that prevent the spread of the infection. These measures reduce the possibility of the virus inadvertently being brought into the hospital and help to keep vulnerable children safe

In order to protect patients, staff and the public we have introduced new visiting arrangements. We want to maintain contact and support between patients and their families and carers, whilst ensuring that we take measures that prevent the spread of the infection. These measures reduce the possibility of the virus inadvertently being brought into the hospital and help to keep vulnerable children safe.

Our visiting rules

• Only 1 parent or carer at any one time may visit or stay with a child. This applies across the hospital, including the Emergency Department, inpatient wards, outpatients and our paediatric intensive care and high dependency units (PICU, PHDU)
• Brothers, sisters and other children are not allowed to visit the hospital
• Unwell visitors or those with possible symptoms of COVID-19 (see below) must not attend the hospital
• 14 day isolation - well adults or carers who should be undertaking 14 day isolation because of an unwell family member at home should not normally attend the hospital
• Rarely, exceptions may be made to the above but only by explicit agreement by the ward manager and the infection control team in advance. In these cases, you are likely to need to agree to strict rules and restrictions while on site
• Where possible, we will facilitate alternatives to visiting such as telephone calls and text or video messaging

COVID-19 symptoms

We want to continue to ensure we keep our patients, visitors and staff safe, so please do not attend Alder Hey if you have:

• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back, or a thermometer reads 37.8ºC or higher
• a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly

Vulnerable patients

We also ask that, before visiting, you check Public Health England’s list of conditions (here) that may increase the risk of severe infection if you were to acquire COVID-19. If you or another visitor fall into this group of vulnerable people you are advised not to visit the hospital but to stay at home.