Some hospitals restrict visitors as flu cases rise
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Some hospitals across the country have restricted visitors as the number of patients admitted with flu in England is rising. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have all made changes to visitor policies to protect patients.
It comes after figures from NHS England showed an average of 4,469 flu patients were in beds in England each day last week, including 211 in critical care, which is more than four times the number on December 1, when the figure was 1,098. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury, has reduced visiting in hospitals due to the rising numbers of flu, Covid and other winter illnesses.
The trust is also asking all patients, visitors and staff to wear masks. There are a number of exceptions where visiting is permitted, which include: when a patient is considered at the end of their life; when a patient is given a life-limiting or palliative diagnosis; when a patient needs support with communication, dietary or mental health needs; for birthing partners, for parents and carers of children and for children under 16, with an adult visitor.
Specific guidance for maternity services has been issued separately. The hospital trust said it expects it will review its visiting guidelines next week. Paula Gardner, interim chief nursing officer from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Due to the rising numbers of flu, Covid-19 and other winter illnesses, we have made the difficult decision to reduce visiting to essential visitors only, including for critical patients, birthing partners and other select groups.
