Coronavirus useful information

Coronavirus health information

Please use the NHS website for general health information about Coronavirus and when to seek medical help.

Do not leave your home if you have either:

a high temperature - this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough - this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.

Changes to hospital visiting times

To minimise infection and keep our patients and staff safe at this time visiting to our wards has changed.

Visiting in Maternity

Our first priority is, and always will be, the safety of the women & babies in our care and we appreciate your understanding and help with this.

We know how important it is for women to be able to have some contact with their birth partner whilst an inpatient in Maternity. Until now we have only been able to safely support this during labour, once in established labour your birth partner can be present with you throughout labour and birth - this guidance remains the same.

From 30 June 2020 we would like to support the designated birth partner (provided they are free of covid symptoms) to have a booked single visit a day for up to 2 hours between 12pm-8pm. This is to enable us to maintain social distancing and protect everyone as much as possible. This will have to be arranged via telephone on the day with ward staff, who will carry out screening for covid symptoms.

Visitors will be asked to bring a face-covering with them and wear these at all times. If they do not attend with a face-covering they will be issued with a surgical mask.

Visiting Birth partners must go directly to their partner’s bedside and remain there throughout the visit. Birth Partners will need to fully adhere to social distancing, wearing appropriate PPE if requested by staff and handwashing guidance at all times.

If circumstances on the ward change the Midwife in charge may have to shorten or cancel the visit.

Maternity update: from Wednesday 29 July - one partner to attend with you for the 20 week scan

In order to try to address the concern around partners attending for scans we are able to trial reintroducing for the 20 week scan with one partner attending with you. You and your partner must be symptom free and screening questions will be asked of both of you in relation to Covid 19 on arrival, you will both need to have face coverings in place as per government guidance.

It is only for the 20 week scan you may bring a partner, this is because we would be unable to meet social distancing guidance in scan waiting areas if we introduce for all scans. The 20 week scan is a highly important screening scan where your baby’s anatomy is looked at in detail, because of this we felt it would be the most important to reintroduce first.

We will need to ask you to arrive promptly for the scan appointment, but not early, to minimise time in the department. In some locations your partner may be asked to wait outside the department. After the scan has been completed, you will need a review by a midwife – your partner will not be able to be present with you for this so will be asked to wait for you outside the hospital building.

Face coverings

From 15 June 2020, visitors and outpatients coming into our hospitals will be asked to wear a face covering at all times, to help us reduce the spread of Covid-19.

The best way to reduce the spread of Covid-19 is to practice safe social distancing wherever possible. Sometimes though it can be hard to stay away from other people and face coverings can help provide some protection for others you come into contact with.

A face covering can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head. It should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably.

There is lots of advice online about how to make your own face covering. Suggestions include using common household items, such as cotton fabric from old T-shirts or bedding. Advice is available here.

It is essential that you wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on, after taking it off and after use. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth at all times and store used face coverings in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash them.

When you visit your face covering should be clean, fresh, one. If the face covering becomes soiled or damp it should be changed, so please bring a second face covering to change into if needed.

New measures to increase services

Our staff have been working hard to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and ensure the safety and quality of our services for all patients.

Just like the rest of the NHS, our number one priority for the last few months has been ensuring that all those who need urgent care - not just those with coronavirus - have been able to get it when they need it. Combined with the need to avoid unnecessary contact to reduce the spread of the virus, this has meant that some non-urgent appointments and surgeries may have been postponed, and others delivered differently using technology.

We are now preparing to gradually increase some important face-to-face services, but only where this can be done safely - the virus is still circulating and we don’t want to put our patients, the public or our staff at greater risk. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times.

What does this mean for me?

We will continue to ask patients to attend face-to-face services only when it is really necessary. Where possible, appointments will be offered using remote services such as a video or phone consultation.

If you do need to attend hospital for planned (non-emergency) care, you will be asked to take some steps to ensure you can get the care you need in an environment that keeps you safe, as well as staff and other patients. Our admissions team will give you all the information you need.

You should only attend your outpatient appointment if you have no symptoms of coronavirus.

While at the hospital, it is important that you comply with normal social distancing requirements.

If you are currently shielding because you are at high risk of complications if you get coronavirus, but you need to come to hospital for planned care, extra planning and protection will be put in place. This might include answering some screening questions and having your temperature checked.

If you start to show symptoms of coronavirus or test positive while admitted to hospital, you will be immediately isolated to ensure the safety of other patients and staff.

If you or a loved one are going to care home or hospice after being in hospital you will be tested for coronavirus before you leave hospital. If the result of the test is positive, the care home will make arrangements to prevent the virus spreading to other residents or staff, following national guidance.

We are continuously monitoring what is happening with the coronavirus pandemic. All planned care is subject to developments in the pandemic response and appointments may need to be rescheduled.

Clinical service information

A number of our clinical services have produced specific Covid-19 advice for their patients.

Audiology services

Audiology services - we offer a postal service for batteries and or tubing replacements, contact the team for replacements to have them posted to you.
York audiology team - 01904 726741
Scarborough audiology team - 01723 342821
or email: hearingaidrepairs@york.nhs.uk.

Blood taking / Phlebotomy services

The blood taking service at York Hospital outpatient department will be closed until further notice. We will continue to offer a blood taking services for patients who have urgent bloods requests only, at the nearby Nuffield Hospital. The urgency will have been identified during your medical appointment. Patients who have routine blood test for yearly check-ups should not attend. Instead, please contact your GP to request an appointment at the GP surgery for your bloods to be taken.