COVID-19: Guidance and updates
This page provides information in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes how our services are affected, what our current visiting arrangements are, local and national guidance and what to do if you need urgent support.
Visiting arrangements
If you would like to visit a ward, please discuss this with the ward staff who will be able to discuss further – contact information for each of our wards is available on our service pages.
In circumstances where visitors are unable to come to wards, the staff will support contact by using facetime, telephone, and other ‘virtual’ means.
Support for carers
If you are caring for somebody and need support during the pandemic, you can contact us using our dedicated email address carersQAservice@nsft.nhs.uk.
Help keep our hospitals safe
If you are visiting us, we ask that you help us to keep each other safe by:
- Washing or sanitising your hands when you arrive at the hospital/outpatient area,
- While you are visiting us, wash your hands often, or use hand sanitiser,
- Not visiting us if you have symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, loss or change in sense of taste or smell). Instead, you should stay at home and book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119
Face coverings - revised guidance effective from 3 April 2023
From 3 April 2023, we are relaxing face mask guidance for staff, patients, carers and visitors. This follows an agreement with our NHS system partners and local risk assessments.
Instead of being universally worn, they will be required in certain settings based on local risk assessments.
Staff will continue to wear masks when caring for patients with confirmed/suspected infectious respiratory illnesses and when caring for immunosuppressed patients.
Patients and carers are not required to wear a face mask unless they have suspected or confirmed Covid-19 or another respiratory infection.
Masks will still be available at our sites for anyone who would like to wear one.
Visitors should not come to the hospital if they have Covid-19 or other respiratory infection symptoms and should not visit if they have Norovirus symptoms.
Page last updated: 31 March 2023