As we move into the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic we are restoring and recovering our services and safety for you and our team remains our absolute priority.

Visiting our Hospitals: What you need to know

With this in mind we have made significant changes at our sites in line with government regulations. However we also need your support with these measures too. So please watch our short animation and read our information sheet. Thank you for your support and patience in following the guidance and helping to keep everyone safe.

Keeping you safe when visiting ASPH for your outpatients appointment

The majority of outpatient appointments will be virtual – either via telephone or video. We are in the process of moving as many appointments as possible over to a video format using a system called Attend Anywhere. You will receive a letter, phone call or text message to confirm when and how your appointment will take place.

Face-to-face appointments will only take place where they deemed clinically essential and the majority, including imaging appointments, will take place at Ashford Hospital. Please watch this short animation to explain what will happen when you come for your appointment.

All patients, visitors, and staff are expected to use a new surgical mask issued by the checkpoint teams when they arrive at all hospital sites. If you are wearing your own face covering or mask you will be asked to remove this and use a new mask for the duration of your visit. The mask must cover your mouth and nose and be worn at all times, unless your clinician asks you to remove it.

There are checkpoints by each entrance and you will be asked to use the hand sanitiser provided and have your temperature taken (by a forehead thermometer). On exit, please dispose of the mask in the clinical waste bin provided and sanitise your hands.

It is expected that everyone on the hospital sites wears a mask with the following exceptions, in line with national guidance:

• children under the age of 11 (Public Health England do not recommended face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)
• people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
• where putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
• if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate

We have made some changes to the visiting arrangements for patients at the end-of-life. We are now able to accommodate one nominated visitor for up to one hour each day or two nominated visitors on alternate days during a patients stay. The patient must still be referred and reviewed by the Specialist Palliative Care Team prior to visiting, and visits must be pre-arranged each day with the ward nursing team.

Other visiting restrictions still remain in place and this is due to the risk COVID-19 continues to present within the community and our hospital and the associated threats of outbreaks with this.

If you have a family member who is a patient with special circumstances – such as learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or dementia, who would really benefit from a visitor then please speak to the ward nursing team and they will advise further.