Visiting Alder Hey

Visiting Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust

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

We appreciate that this may be difficult but ask that you follow these rules to help our staff care for your child safely, while keeping other patients, visitors and staff safe during this period.

Avoid visiting the hospital if you might have COVID-19

If, in the last 7 days, you have had any of the following:

• 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
• have tested positive for COVID-19

then you should:

• self-isolate as per current NHS guidance, until it has been at least 7 days since the symptoms started (or your test was positive), you are feeling better and you no longer have a temperature. A persistent cough alone does not mean you must continue to self-isolate for more than 7 days
• not visit the hospital until your self-isolation has finished.

If your child is critically ill, this will need to be agreed with senior ward staff and you will need to keep to strict rules, including isolation within your child’s room, to prevent risk to other staff, patients and visitors.

Dr Andrew Riordan, Alder Hey Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, advises that: “As the children and young people with infection are being treated in isolation, there is an extremely low risk to any other patients, or visitors.  The evidence indicates that children are less likely to become ill with the virus than adults.  As with adults, children should use the usual preventive actions to avoid infection, including cleaning hands often using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitiser, and avoiding people who are sick.”

Additional visiting guidance during the COVID-19 outbreak

In all cases:

• Use hand gel on entering and leaving the ward
• Please remain within the cubicle with doors fully closed at all times

Thank you for your co-operation and support during this period.