Restrictions to Visiting Medway Maritime Hospital

As you will be aware, the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown from midnight on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, we have had to take the difficult decision to suspend visiting at the hospital with immediate effect, until further notice.

This includes visiting patients on the ward and attending with a relative who may be attending a routine appointment in main or speciality outpatients, including maternity.

Anyone attending for an appointment must do so alone unless they require a carer.

The only exceptional circumstances where one visitor or companion - an immediate family member or carer - will be permitted to visit/attend are listed below.

• The patient is receiving end-of-life care.

• Patients with learning disabilities.
• Patients with delirium.
• A woman in labour (who may have one birthing partner).
• A parent or appropriate adult visiting a child.

These circumstances should be discussed with the nurse or midwife in charge.

We know how worrying it can be for people unable to visit family and friends in hospital during these worrying times. Family members can keep in touch with their loved one by sending an Email with family updates, photos or drawings to: medwayft.patientexperience@nhs.net which will be passed onto the patient (please include the patient’s name and ward), and of course by calling the ward.

We fully appreciate that this is a difficult situation but we must put all the measures in place to protect our patients, staff and community and stop the spread of the virus.

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust