Kettering General Hospital suspends visiting as county Covid-19 cases hit record high

Kettering General Hospital has shut its doors to all but a handful of visitors from New Year's Day as record numbers of Covid-19 are being reported across the county.

Visiting restrictions at Kettering General Hospital had been partially lifted in May 2021 when pre-booked timed slots were allowed on wards with strict hygiene measures in place.

Now the rules have changed to prevent transmission between visitors, staff and patients at the Rothwell Road site.

A spokesman for Kettering and Northampton general hospitals said: “The health, wellbeing, and safety of all our patients and our staff are our primary concern and so from today, Friday December 31, visiting is suspended at Northampton General Hospital and from tomorrow (January 1), at Kettering General Hospital.

"We have taken the difficult decision to suspend visiting at both of our hospitals to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being introduced into the hospital environment at a time when infections in the community are rising rapidly. "

Visiting will be allowed in the following limited circumstances to:

• Patients who are in the last days of life.

• A birthing partner accompanying a woman in labour and also for antenatal birthing scans.

• Patients with a learning disability or autism where not having visitors will cause the patient distress.

• One parent or appropriate adult visiting a child in our paediatric wards or neonatal units (not siblings)

The spokesman said: "If not allowing a visit would significantly impact on the welfare of a patient we will review requests on a case-by-case basis. We will reintroduce virtual visiting facilities in place at both our hospitals so patients can chat to friends and family.

"We apologise for having to take this step as we are fully aware of the impact suspending visiting has on our patients and those close to them. We know our local community will understand that safety is always our top priority when caring for our patients.”

Government data released on Thursday night (December 30) showed 2,101 previously unreported positive tests. The previous record daily high before the current Omicron-fuelled surge was 1,044 back in January 2021.

Figures also show 9,433 positive tests have been reported in Northamptonshire during the last seven days.

Self-isolation rules for those testing positive have led to acute staff shortages in the NHS across England with around 38 per cent of workers absent in the week up to December 23.

For more than a 13-month period, inpatients at KGH were not able to see loved ones at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic with relatives able to be at hospital bedsides in only a few exceptional circumstances.

Only patients can attend A&E, except in exceptional circumstances where it is vital to the wellbeing of the patient that they are accompanied, for example supporting a patient with learning difficulties.