Visiting the St Richard's Hospice In-patient Unit

Covid-19 2022 Information for In-patient Unit (IPU) visitors We work hard to provide a safe environment for patients and their loved ones by reducing the risk of transmissible infections.

As we care for very vulnerable people, we must follow the latest national guidance on protecting against respiratory infections such as Covid-19 and Influenza.

Our In-patient Unit (IPU) visitor information has been updated following a review to national Covid-19 guidance for hospices in May 2022: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testingfor-hospices NHS England Infection Prevention Control (IPC) guidelines advise a number of restrictions are still mandatory in all healthcare settings.

You can read our guidelines on visiting the IPU below, along with suggestions on how to stay in touch with your loved one.

Please contact our IPU team on 01905 958163 before visiting to discuss arrangements, or if you have any questions.

Please note: should Covid-19 infection levels, or national guidance, change, visiting arrangements may be altered.

Who can visit?

On admission, a member of the IPU team will talk to the patient and family to create a visiting care plan. This will include details of those people who are most significant to the patient and who they would most like to visit them.

Number of visitors at the bedside Patients can be visited each day between 2pm and 7pm. Due to the size of our rooms this is limited to two visitors at any one time.

St Richard's Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT Charity no. 515668 | Company no. 01850502

Updated: July 2022

To meet essential infection control measures, if anyone aged 16 or under would like to visit, this must be arranged with the IPU team beforehand.

Due to the high risk that children don’t show any symptoms of Covid, and yet still carry it, extra precautions may be necessary to protect loved ones. For example, if a child is unable to wear a mask they may be asked to enter the building via a different route.

When a person is approaching the very end of their life, we will talk with their family and loved ones about how we can support more relaxed visiting times.

However, due to the size of our rooms, this will still mean only two people visiting at any one time.

Visitor testing You will be asked to take a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) on, or before, arrival to the IPU. If you are unable to take a test before arriving at the hospice, we can provide you with one.

Please confirm your negative LFT result on arrival.

Please do not visit if you have symptoms of, or have tested positive for, Covid-19. We also ask you not to visit if you have symptoms of any other transmissible illness, such as flu or norovirus.

To support contact tracing, and to ensure we fulfil our public health duty, we will record your details and the results of any tests that you may have taken. This information will be kept for a month and then destroyed.

If the nature of your visit to a loved one means you are unable to take a test beforehand, please do not worry. We would recommend you take a test shortly after your visit.

If you have any concerns about testing please don’t hesitate to contact the Inpatient Unit on 01905 958163 and speak to a member of the team.

St Richard's Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT Charity no. 515668 | Company no. 01850502

Updated: July 2022

Arrival at the In-patient Unit When you arrive at the hospice, you’ll be asked to put on a face mask and sanitise your hands.

You’ll be asked brief Covid-19 screening questions to check if it is appropriate for your visit to continue.

Please wash your hands in the facilities available, and use hand sanitiser, before entering the IPU. Please also follow social distancing measures.

Before you leave the patient’s room, please cleanse your hands with the alcohol gel available. We kindly ask you to keep your face mask on until you leave the building. You can dispose of your face mask in the recycling bin in the walkway out of Reception.

Patients with Covid-19 If the patient has tested positive for coronavirus we would encourage ‘virtual visiting’ by video call or by telephone instead of visiting in person. This will be discussed with patients and families on admission, and we can help provide access to equipment to support this in the hospice.

If, under exceptional circumstances, you do wish to visit in person, we will outline the risks to you and on your return home you will need to follow current Government guidance which you can find via www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

Staying in touch To help families stay in touch we encourage virtual visiting using technology. This will be discussed with patients and families on admission. We can help provide access to equipment in the hospice.

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An email address is available for you to send personal messages and photographs to your loved one at St Richard’s Hospice. Email your message to: PatientMessages@strichards.org.uk Alternatively, call our In-patient Unit on 01905 958163 and a member of the team will write down your message. You can call to leave your message Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm, and Saturday to Sunday 9.30am to 1pm.

Messages will be printed and laminated, so they can be kept clean, and given to your loved one. If your loved one would like to send a reply, our IPU Team will help ensure their message is sent on to you.

St Richard's Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT Registered Charity Number: 515668 Published Company Number: 01850502 763963 www.strichards.org.uk St Richard's 01905 Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT 9 April 2020

Charity no. 515668 | Company no. 01850502

Updated: July 2022

How to access the In-patient Unit and parking You can access the In-patient Unit via the hospice's main Reception in Wildwood Drive, Worcester. You can park in the main hospice car park. Parking is free of charge.

Directions to the car park The main hospice reception and car park is off Wildwood Drive, opposite Worcester Woods Country Park. Please drive up to the entry barrier and press the buzzer for admittance.

The address is: St Richard's Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT.

If you have any difficulty accessing the car park, please call Reception on 01905 763963.

St Richard's Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT Charity no. 515668 | Company no. 01850502

Updated: July 2022