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Continued improvement for hospital services following Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection

Posted: 17 June 2020

Picture of three sites at West Hertfordshire Hosptials NHS Trust

In line with recent recommendations from the Government, West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust is introducing new measures to keep visitors, patients, visitors and staff safe. From Monday 15 June 2020 you will need to wear a face covering when you come to hospital as an outpatient.

People infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and can transmit the virus to others without being aware of it.

What does this mean for me?

We can all play a role in reducing the spread of coronavirus and keeping our hospitals safe. If you are coming to hospital for planned outpatient care, it is important that you wear a face covering at all times. This is for your safety and the safety of other patients and staff.

Face coverings can be cloth and/or homemade, and advice on how to wear and make one can be found on the government website. Face coverings worn for religious beliefs or cultural practice are also acceptable, providing they are not loose and cover the mouth and nose.

Please plan ahead and bring a face covering with you whenever possible.

If you are currently shielding and have been provided with a surgical face mask for your appointments, please continue to use this. If you have not been provided with a surgical face mask, you should wear a face covering.

For some people, wearing a face covering may be difficult due to physical or mental health conditions. In these instances, other measures will be considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments and being seen immediately on arrival.

If you are a deaf or hearing impaired, trust staff have a range of communication options to ensure that they can communicate effectively with you. This might include visual aids such as writing things down, speech to text apps or sign language.

All visitors will be expected to comply with existing social distancing and hand hygiene measures in addition to wearing face coverings while in the hospital setting.

Where do I go for more information?

If you have further questions regarding the changes made across the trust, please see the trust website - www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk - for up to date information on accessing services, visiting restrictions and an FAQ.

Ends

Notes

  1. For more information, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.net For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
  2. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust sees around 600,000 patients a year and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
  3. For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).