Fife hospital visiting restrictions to be eased

Due to heightened prevalence of Covid-19 in the community, NHS Fife had limited patients to a single visitor a day since June 29 to help reduce the instances of the virus being brought into hospitals.

However, the health board has said the restrictions will now be gradually relaxed again with a reduction in the numbers of those with Covid in its hospitals and the wider community.

From Tuesday, August 9, patients in most areas of Fife hospitals will be allowed visits from two people at any given time.

In areas where this cannot be accommodated due to two-metre distancing requirements, patients will continue to be able to receive two visitors per day, with one visitor permitted at a time.

Essential visiting will continue to be facilitated in wards or areas where patients are being treated whilst positive for the virus.

Essential visiting includes those who are visiting relatives receiving end of life care, or to support someone with a mental health issue, learning disability, autism or dementia where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed.

Janette Owes, NHS Fife's director of nursing, said: “With cases of Covid-19 again beginning to reduce, we are pleased to be able to ease visiting restrictions in our hospitals once again.

“We recognise how important visiting is to patients and their families, and throughout the pandemic we have been committed to making visiting as safe, open and accessible as possible, whilst at the same ensuring that we are not placing already vulnerable patients at greater risk of catching the virus.

“The virus hasn’t gone away, however, and visitors have an important role to play in helping us prevent the virus from being brought into our hospitals.

"This means adhering to the hygiene measures in place in our hospitals, using fluid-resistant face masks and hand washing regularly.

“All of these actions help us limit the risk of vulnerable people catching Covid-19, and enables us to make visiting more accessible for everyone.”

All hospital visitors should regularly apply hand sanitiser and must continue to wear a fluid-resistant surgical face mask, which are available at hospital entrances.

Within the children’s, neonatal and maternity wards children visiting must be a sibling of the young person in hospital care.

Strict hygiene measures remain in place to limit the risk of the virus spreading within the hospitals including visitors being prevented from bringing presents such as flowers, food parcels of balloons.

Visitors must not attend hospital if they have recently had sickness or diarrhoea, or any cold and flu symptoms, regardless of whether they test negative for Covid-19.

Visitors are also strongly urged to test for Covid before attending with home test kits remaining free of charge to those visiting hospitals.

NHS Fife said all visiting arrangements continue to be kept under regular review in line with Covid infection rates and hospital capacity

To keep up to date with the latest restrictions visit www.nhsfife.org