Coronavirus Guidance
This page is no longer being updated – please visit the Visitor Information page for further details about visiting St John’s Hospice or contact Hospice Reception on 01524 382538.
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Guidance for Visitors (Ward) | Guidance for Visitors (General) | Secure Certificate | Hospice Response | Community Services | Wellbeing
To keep everyone as safe as possible, all staff and volunteers:
- Carry out coronavirus testing regularly
- Continue to practice social distancing on site
- Continue to wear face coverings in communal areas and on the ward
- Continue to practice good hand hygiene
Rest assured we are doing everything we can to keep our patients, families, staff and volunteers safe.
Inpatient ward – guidance for visitors
New guidance with effect from 28/04/2022
We would be grateful if you could assist us to keep our patients, visitors and staff as safe as possible by respecting the following procedures:
- If you have, or have had COVID-19 you must not visit until you have had two negative test results on two consecutive days.
- Visiting is between 1pm and 8pm.
- Visitors are expected to report to the reception prior to each visit.
- Four visitors per patient are permitted in any one day (children do not count in the numbers if they are aged 18 or under).
- If a patient is deemed to be end of life and in the last hours or short days of life, a member of the nursing team will advise you of this and at that point visiting hours can be extended at the discretion of the Nurse in Charge.
- You will be expected to wear a mask, which will be provided. Additional PPE may be needed if you are providing hands on care – please speak to the Nurse in Charge.
- Once in the room you can hold your loved one’s hand but prior to leaving the room we ask you to wash your hands with soap & water.
- During visiting you can use the visitor’s kitchen (located next to the nurse’s station) to make a hot drink (we ask that only one person uses the room at any one time).
Reception is currently open for enquires and donations etc:
Monday to Friday: 9am – 6pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10 – 4pm
If you have any queries please speak to the Nurse in Charge or contact the Hospice on telephone number: 01524 382538.
Thank you for your understanding
General guidance for Hospice visitors
New guidance with effect from 01/09/2021
Please note this new guidance does not affect current guidance for visiting the Inpatient Ward.
Anyone entering the Hospice building is asked to:
- Please wear a face covering (unless medically exempt)
- Do not enter if you have Covid-19 symptoms
- Be willing to take an LFD test
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitiser regularly
- Respect other people’s space to ensure comfort and safety
COVID-19 Secure certificate
NHS QR Code Privacy Notice
St John’s Hospice displays the NHS QR code poster and this information may be shared with local authorities and health protections teams. You can view the government privacy notice at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-qr-code-venue-posters-privacy-notice
HOSPICE RESPONSE Update
We want to assure our loyal community that St John’s is following guidance provided by the Government and Public Health England regarding the Coronavirus outbreak. We are taking every precautionary action to protect our critical community and inpatient services, and protect the safety of our patients, families, volunteers and employees.
We are adapting the way we work in all areas to ensure that key services continue to operate in these uncertain times. This does mean that until further notice, to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities, St John’s Hospice has taken the decision to:
- Cancel Day Therapy Services at the Oak Centre
- Open The Courtyard Café from 10-3, Monday to Friday
- Postpone or cancel some of our fundraising events
- Restrict access to the chapel to current hospice patients and their visitors
Community Services – including Clinical Nurse Specialists and Hospice at Home Team
During this period of the Coronavirus outbreak our Clinical Nurse Specialist team are still at work across the community. This care team provide vital specialist palliative care including pain and symptom management as well as psychological support.
Our Hospice at Home team are still travelling in the community 7 days a week delivering care to patients near end of life as well as support to their families and carers.
Our teams will make contact with all of our patients in the community to discuss their ongoing care and support. Please be assured we remain totally committed to supporting you and your families and where appropriate, we will conduct reviews remotely by telephone call.
Day Therapy Services and Support Programmes
Regrettably we will not be able to host our weekly programmes, drop in sessions or remembrance services until further notice. The services provided consist mostly of group sessions and operating would be counter to guidance on social distancing in order to prevent the infection and spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Although we are currently unable to provide the Hospice Neighbours home-visiting befriending service we will soon be offering a volunteer befriending telephone service.
Volunteers
We have welcomed back volunteers into hospice shops positions and a small number of other roles. The majority of our volunteers however continue to be stepped down from their roles whilst the coronavirus is ongoing. This is sad for St John’s Hospice as the support of our volunteers is very important.
Wellbeing and mental health during Covid-19 DOWNLOAD
Here is a helpful booklet from Every Life Matters, which provides help and guidance for wellbeing and mental health during Covid-19. Thank you to Every Life Matters for making this available. Download here.
You can also access The Little Book of Hope, thanks to the Yogi Group. Download here.
Thank you for your loyalty and unselfish commitment in these difficult days – we wouldn’t be here without you
Last updated: 28/04/2022