Patient visiting suspended at Lincolnshire hospitals during lockdown

  • Calendar
031120 LINCOLNSHIRE HOSPITAL VISITOR PA 2
Patient visiting is being suspended at all Lincolnshire hospitals throughout lockdown in all but exceptional cases Credit: Press Association

Patient visiting will be suspended in all United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust hospitals throughout lockdown for all but exceptional cases.

This change to visiting arrangements is taking place in light of the new national government lockdown which comes into force and Thursday and will run until the end of the lockdown period.

Last week it was announced that patient visiting at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston would be suspended Credit: ITV Calendar

This follows the announcement last week that visiting was suspended at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, but to bring all hospitals in line with each other the restrictions have now been extended to Lincoln County Hospital as well. Visiting remains restricted at Grantham and District Hospital.

Exceptions:

  • The maternity department will allow one birthing partner to attend the birth and a partner to visit women and their baby either antenatal or postnatal.

  • Partners can attend the 12 and 20 week antenatal scans and the 36 week consultant maternity appointment. 

  • Parents who do not show the symptoms of infection can visit their children on children’s wards and neonatal units (one parent at a time)

  • Visiting end of life patients

  • Other exceptional circumstances such as a significantly distressed patient with a mental health condition or learning disability where the visit would be considered a therapeutic necessity.

The Director of Nursing at the trust, Dr Karen Dunderdale, says the restrictions are being brought in to protect patients and staff during the pandemic and to limit the spread of the virus.

 Wards will be offering the opportunity for families to talk to relatives via Skype or FaceTime where possible.