East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is introducing additional measures from Monday 15 June to keep patients, staff and visitors safe as services restart.
People will be asked to wear a face covering or masks, and to follow one-way systems as part of increased measures to maintain social distancing at all of our four hospitals – Hertford County, Lister in Stevenage, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood and New QEII in Welwyn Garden City – including our renal smaller community sites.
Rachael Corser, Chief Nurse at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said:
“As we begin to restart services at our hospitals, we want to reassure the public that it is safe to attend if you have a medical need. These additional measures will be in place to help everyone adhere to social distancing, and to help reduce any spread of COVID-19.”
Face coverings
In line with new national guidance, everyone attending hospital must wear a face covering from Monday. Face masks will be provided at hospital entrances when necessary, along with bins to dispose of them safely when leaving.
However, the trust is asking people not to wear gloves, but to ensure good handwashing or sanitising – with sanitiser available at entrances too.
People should wash their hands or use hand sanitiser before putting their face covering on and after taking it off, and it is important that people don’t touch their face covering.
Staff working in the trust’s hospitals will also be wearing face masks.
Social distancing
One-way systems and ‘footsteps’ on the floor are being introduced to maintain social distancing, as well as stickers on chairs to maintain social distancing between patients when waiting to be seen.
Visiting
Visiting the trust’s hospitals to see in-patients remains very restricted, with only a few exceptions for people who are at the end of their life, birthing partners, or those with caring responsibilities. The trust is encouraging everyone to check the website for up-to-date guidance before attending hospital.
Patients attending appointments, visiting Lister’s emergency department or the Urgent Care Centre at the New QEII should attend alone wherever possible.
