COVID-19 Update

Updated Tuesday 20 December, 2022

UPDATE TO VISITING RESTRICTIONS

20 December 2022: Our visitor restrictions and entry requirements have been updated.

We have eased our visiting rules, but as COVID is still a threat to our community, some COVID Safe measures remain in place.  

You must wear a mask 

It is a condition of entry that all visitors wear a mask while at Jessie McPherson Private Hospital unless they have a valid exemption.  

In public areas 

• Adult (18+) visitors, caregivers and support people must wear an N95 mask.
• Children aged 8-17 must wear a surgical mask or N95 mask.

In patient care areas 

• All people 8 years and older are required to wear an N95 mask.

Visitors may only remove masks to eat and drink outside patient care areas. The clinical team may provide exemptions in some circumstances, e.g., at the end of life, for a patient with special needs or where a carer is staying overnight with a patient. 

Unless specifically authorised by the treating team, visitors may not remove masks or other personal protective equipment while visiting COVID-19 positive patients. 

Physical distancing is required 

We ask that visitors maintain 1.5 meters distance from other people.   

You will not be able to visit if you:  

• Are unwell with any COVID-19, gastroenteritis or flu like symptoms g., running nose, fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhoea. 
• Are awaiting a COVID-19 test result.
• Have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 in the past seven days (unless wearing appropriate PPE).
• Have been advised you are a close contact by a contact tracing team.

VISITING HOURS

All visits must occur within visiting hours (10am to 8pm) unless specified otherwise. 

Specific entry requirements for patient care areas: 

Birth Suite (including PAU)

• Two people may accompany a patient

Postnatal Patients (after Birth)

• Partner or support person is welcome to remain throughout the postnatal stay.
• Children under 16 years may visit by special arrangement if accompanied by an adult. 

Antenatal Ward

• One designated partner/support person may visit anytime between 8am and 8pm 
• Children under 16 years may visit by special arrangement if accompanied by an adult.

 Special Care Nursery (SCN)

• Parents are permitted to visit at any time between 7am and 8pm.

Adult Inpatients

• Two visitors per patient per day, for an unlimited time, visiting one at a time.
• One child under 12 may attend with a visitor and will not be counted in overall visitor numbers.
• One carer/support person may stay overnight in exceptional circumstances (at the discretion of the local management team). 

 Adult ICU 

• Two visitors per patient per day, for a maximum of one hour per visit (i.e., two people may visit for one hour each). 

Special considerations 

Special considerations are in place for end of life, where there is a high risk of death in relation to impending treatment or surgery, or where a patient’s condition has been assessed as unstable or deteriorating. 

• Two visitors at a time may be with the patient 0800-2000 and outside these times by arrangement with the unit. 
• The unit will facilitate all reasonable visitor attendance. 

COVID Positive patients 

COVID positive patients may have visitors. Visits must be arranged with the local care team before attending. 

Visitors must strictly adhere to PPE requirements as advised by the local care team. If you cannot wear a mask, you will not be able to visit.  

Caregivers:  

Patients with special needs, e.g., disability, delirium, dementia, patients who require carer support, patients requiring language support, and visitors who need to learn home care needs.  

• These patients may have a carer with them at all appropriate hours, including overnight, if arranged with the ward/unit. 
• This carer will not be counted as one of the total visitor numbers for the day (i.e., the patient may have a further two visitors), but the total visitors at the bedside at any time will not exceed two. 

Virtual visiting 

When possible, we encourage all patients to bring a device into hospital with them such as a mobile phone, tablet or laptop. Our ward staff can assist in connecting devices to our FREE patient Wi-Fi. 

For patients who do not have their own device, need help with technology or are too unwell to use their own device, nursing staff can arrange for patients to have a virtual visit with a friend or family member, using one of our iPads. 

 

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