Update (08/01/24, 5pm):

Last week, we made a small number of important changes to inpatient visiting across our Eastern services. This was due to the rising number of COVID-19, flu, other respiratory diseases, and norovirus (diarrhoea or vomiting) infections we were seeing in some of our hospitals.

The situation is improving, and we are moving away from a blanket restriction, and will be applying these restrictions to certain areas on a case-by-case basis instead.

In the areas where these restrictions are in place, every adult inpatient may have one visitor a day, with visits limited to one hour. It does not have to be the same visitor each day and you do not need to make an appointment for the visit.

You should continue to visit our hospitals as normal, but please be aware that if visiting our hospitals in Wonford and Heavitree or any of our community hospitals in east Devon, that some wards may have visiting restrictions applied to them and your visiting time will be limited. If this is the case, you will be informed of this when you get to the ward.

We also need your help to stop the spread of these infections, so please practice good hand hygiene and use the hand sanitiser provided when visiting. Please do not visit any of our hospitals if you have any signs of respiratory infections or norovirus.

If you are visiting an immunosuppressed or vulnerable patient, then you may wish to take extra precautions when visiting, such as wearing a facemask. These will also be available to anyone who requests them.

Original story (04/01/24, 5pm):

We are seeing a significant rise in the number of COVID-19, flu, other respiratory diseases, and norovirus (diarrhoea or vomiting) infections in some of our hospitals. In light of this, to help us keep our patients, staff and visitors safe, we are making a small number of important changes to inpatient visiting in our Eastern services.

Every adult inpatient may have one visitor a day, with visits limited to one hour. It does not have to be the same visitor each day and you do not need to make an appointment for the visit.

We understand how important visiting is for our patients and their families, but we hope that by acting now we will only need to have these measures in place for a short time and that our careful and evidence-based approach will allow infection control risks to be managed so that our inpatients can continue to receive visits from their loved ones.

We appreciate that there will be some exceptional circumstances, so these restrictions will not apply to vulnerable inpatients with dementia, cognitive impairments, complex emotional support or communication needs, those at end of life, or to our maternity services. In these circumstances, a family member will be able to stay to provide emotional and practical support. Any other exceptional circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the nurse in charge.

Please note that there are no changes to paediatric or outpatient visiting at this time.

These changes will only affect our Eastern services, which covers the RD&E Hospital and community hospitals in east Devon (full list here). Visiting in our Northern services remains unchanged.

We also need your help to stop the spread of these infections, so please practice good hand hygiene and use the hand sanitiser provided when visiting, and please do not visit any of our hospitals if you have any signs of respiratory infections or norovirus, which may include:

• New cough
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Feeling shivery/going hot and cold
• High temperature
• Aching muscles
• Diarrhoea and/or vomiting

Facemasks will also be available to anyone who requests them.