(Updated 22nd January 2021)

During the current outbreak of Covid-19 we have had to restrict access to the hospice building for family members and friends of patients on the Inpatient Unit.

We have done this to ensure that our patients, staff and volunteers working within the Hospice are safe. These will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis and may change depending on the national and/or local infection rate and guidance.

Visitor Guidance:

• Maximum of two visitors per patient.
   
• Patients will be asked to identify their two named visitors and advise the clinical teams. Nominated visitors must be an immediate family member or carer, from the same household or support bubble. Whilst we recognise the distress this may cause, please do not attempt to come to the hospice if you are not the nominated visitor as this will divert our staff from delivering care to our patients.
   
• Visitors cannot be rotated unless they develop symptoms of COVID-19 and are required to self-isolate and any change in visitor must be agreed with the Nurse-in-Charge.
   
• Every time a visitor attends the hospice they will be asked to complete a Covid-19 Screening Questionnaire to help us identify if there are any reasons why they should not be visiting i.e. COVID-19 symptoms or if they are required to isolate in accordance with Public Health England guidance, and names and contact details will be checked, recorded and stored in support of infection prevention and control.
   
• Personal information will be held by Bolton Hospice for a period of 21 days, following which it will be destroyed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
   
• All patients will be screened and a swab sample taken on admission to determine their Covid-19 status and no visitors will be allowed until the results are received, which is usually within 24 hours. If a patient has been confirmed as positive for COVID-19 then unfortunately no visitors will be permitted for a period of 14 days. This time period is different to members of the public in the community, following guidance from Infection Control.  

Anyone showing any symptoms of COVID-19 should not visit. This is essential for infection prevention and control that if visitors display symptoms of COVID-19 they will be asked to leave, self-isolate at home and organise a test; members of their household will also be required to self-isolate until the results of the test are back. In the event of a positive test result visitors and members of their household will be required to isolate at home in line with Government Guidance – during this time visits to the hospice will not be permitted.

The only exceptional circumstance for visiting a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 will be if the patient is entering the last days and hours of life.  At this time, if possible, we will offer an opportunity for the patient’s nominated visitors to visit the hospice to say goodbye.

VISITOR GUIDANCE FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF COVID-19 POSITIVE AND COVID-19 SUSPECTED PATIENT:

All named visitors must self-isolate following the death of a patient with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, as per isolation guidelines detailed above.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this challenging time.