The latest Covid-19 updates from Saint Michael's
Saint Michael’s Hospice will continue to operate increased infection prevention and control protocols despite the easing of the majority of public Covid-19 restrictions during July.
These heightened protections, which are already in place, will remain in place indefinitely to protect the individuals in our care, their families and friends, and our team.
– If you are unwell in any way that may suggest you have Covid-19, or you are self-isolating because you or a member of your household has or is suspected of having Covid-19, please do not visit the Hospice.
– People wishing to visit the the Hospice are asked to book their visits in advance by calling (01423) 879 687. We appreciate that this may be more difficult for some people, and we will do our best to support individual needs.
– People can visit between 2-8pm, any day of the week, for a maximum of four hours – with two people generally able to visit a patient each day.
– People aged 12 years-old and over, who are visiting patients at the Hospice, will be expected to take a lateral flow test and report a negative result prior to visiting.
– Once at the Hospice, visitors aged 12 years-old and over will continue to be required to wear appropriate PPE for the duration of their visit, including a face mask, apron, and gloves. Visors are also available for visitors who are medically exempt from wearing a face mask. All visitors will be expected to meet all site Covid-19 protocols.
– Should visitors come to the Hospice without having taken a Covid-19 test prior to visiting, they will be asked to take one upon arrival and wait 30 minutes for a negative result before entering clinical areas. Should a person test positive, visiting will not be possible.
Patients will also continue to be tested regularly and cared for according to their needs.
We recognise that the current environment makes it more difficult for people to stay in touch with their loved ones. To support this, we have created a special team to help. They are called the Patient and Family Support Team, and they can help you to keep in contact with your loved ones during a stay with us. They can be contacted by calling (01423) 879 687.
Staff and volunteers will also continue to test regularly and report any result and will be expected to isolate should they, or a member of their household receive notification from NHS Test and Trace or return a positive result.
We understand that these protocols may cause some difficulties, but we ask for your support at this time as we do our best to keep our patients, visitors, staff, and volunteers as safe as possible.
As the majority of public Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease from July 19, customers visiting our shops are no longer restricted in numbers or required to wear a face covering.
Changing areas will begin to reopen, where it is safe to do so, and are subject to robust cleaning measures. All staff and volunteers working in our shops are required to wear a face covering, unless they are medically exempt, and work behind screens wherever possible, as we continue to keep our community and teams safe during this time.
Our community will also now be able to donate their items on all days their chosen shop is open, rather than Tuesdays and Fridays only. We ask that you please call ahead to your chosen shop to ensure they can accept your items. More information on our shops, including contact details, can be found here.
Thank you to our community for their ongoing support.
We encourage everyone across our community to regularly read the latest guidance from the NHS and government.
If you are unsure about our current guidance and wish to speak to someone, please call us on (01423) 879 687.
Let us know you'd like us to stay in touch