Visiting restrictions easing at Northamptonshire community hospitals, hospices and mental health inpatient wards

Visiting restrictions at Northamptonshire’s community hospitals, hospices and mental health inpatient wards will be easing from this week.

Services ran by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) will be able to manage their own visiting procedures in line with restrictions lifting at Kettering and Northampton hospitals.

Northamptonshire residents seeking to visit their loved ones are advised to get in touch with the relevant ward for more information.

Chief nurse Julie Shepherd said, “We know how important visiting is to our patients and service users, and their families, carers and loved ones.

"Understandably during the Covid-19 pandemic we have had to restrict visiting arrangements to keep everyone safe.

"We are pleased to be able to start return to visiting in a safe way, now that Covid-19 cases in the county, and the country as a whole, are beginning to stabilise and lockdown restrictions are being lifted.

“Whilst this is very good news, it is still vitally important we continue to prioritise the safety of our service users, staff, visitors, and Northamptonshire residents as a whole.

"Therefore, we will still ask visitors to take sensible precautions, remember the government’s advice of ‘hands, face, space’, and to contact the local teams for specific arrangements in each area.”

NHFT provides inpatient services at a number of community hospitals across Northamptonshire including Brackley and Corby community hospitals, Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough and Danetre Hospital in Daventry.

The trust also provides inpatient care at the Cransley and Cynthia Spencer hospices and mental health inpatient care at St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering and Berrywood Hospital in Northampton.

As well as CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health) inpatient facilities at The Burrows and The Sett, both in Northampton .

Key visiting guidance for NHFT wards is:

- Visitors should be free of Covid-19 symptoms for 10 days preceding their visit date

- Individuals deemed clinically extremely vulnerable are advised not to visit,

- All individuals intending to visit should take a lateral flow test not more than 72 hours before the visit date. Visitors will be required to show evidence of a negative test when they arrive

- All visitors must wash their hands on entry to the visiting area, and wear a suitable face mask or covering. If exempt from wearing a face mask or covering, this must be declared and discussed with the ward team prior to the visit.

To find out more about NHFT’s inpatient services across Northamptonshire, including contact details, visit nhft.nhs.uk.