East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) is suspending visiting to its hospitals to help stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and keep patients and staff safe.
An increase of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the local communities had led to an increase in patients with the virus at ESNEFT’s hospitals. With new lockdown measures coming into place in England on 5 November, the hospitals’ teams have taken the difficult decision to stop visiting, as it did during the first wave of the pandemic. The changes will come into place from Thursday 5 November.
Nick Hulme, Chief Executive at East Suffolk and North East Essex Foundation Trust, said:
Exceptional circumstances where one visitor – an immediate family member or carer – can visit are, for example, when:
The Trust’s letters to loved ones service is still running and teams will continue to use iPads and mobile phones to help people keep in touch while face-to-face visiting is not possible. In most cases, we ask that families nominate a key contact to liaise with hospital ward who can then share updates with other families and friends.
Attending ultrasound scans
One adult from the same household can attend 12 and 20 week scans with someone who is pregnant at Ipswich, Colchester and Clacton hospitals. For everyone’s safety and to reduce the overall number of people in our hospitals, we must ask that the person brought to the appointment is the same person every time.
Whoever you bring with you for your 12 week scan, must be who you then bring with you to your 20 week scan.
Birthing partners
This guidance covers Colchester Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital, Felixstowe Hospital and Bluebird Lodge, Ipswich.
The Colchester and Ipswich Hospital Emergency Departments and the urgent treatment centre at Colchester Hospital remain open to patients who need urgent and emergency help. If you have a health concern that’s not an emergency but you’re thinking about coming to A&E call NHS 111 first.