Hospitals in the East suspend visiting as Covid cases surge in the community
Hospital visits are being suspended again at some hospitals in Suffolk and north Essex due to rising Covid cases.
From Wednesday 23 March most ward visiting will be disallowed in all hospitals run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
This will affect Colchester Hospital, Clacton Hospital and Fryatt Hospital, Harwich, Ipswich Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital, Felixstowe Hospital and Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich.
The Trust has said that people will still be able to visit if they are on the maternity ward, a parent of a child, in a formal caring role or for end-of-life care.
Across the East of England the number of patients in hospital infected with Covid-19 is at the highest level for more than a year. There were 1,596 patients with coronavirus on Tuesday 22 March - the highest number since 18 February 2021.
The decision in East Suffolk and North Essex comes after the Trust earlier this month changed their visiting policy to allow patients to have multiple visitors.
Nick Hulme Chief Executive at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: “Making this decision so soon after we opened visiting further is disappointing for us all, but it goes to show how fast the virus is spreading again and that COVID-19 has not gone away.
“Any decision to suspend visiting in our hospitals is carefully considered. It does not get any easier and it’s never a decision we take lightly as we understand the impact it has had on patients and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will be keeping a very close eye on the situation, and we will share any news on changes to our visiting policy as quickly as we can.”
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust hopes by reducing footfall in hospitals this stop the spread of the virus and keep staff and patients safe.
Giles Thorpe Chief Nurse and Director of Infection Prevention and Control said: “Community COVID-19 infection rates and the number of people in our hospitals with the virus have both been steadily rising and although this is a very difficult decision, it is the right one and we need to take it now.
The Trust says the current situation will be kept under close and regular review by the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control team, in line with hospital admissions and community COVID-19 infection rates.
Mr Thorpe added: “We appreciate how much visiting means to our patients and the people who care about them. Please be assured we are committed to reinstating some ward visiting in our hospitals as quickly and as safely as possible.