Hospitals in Hull Begin Imposing Restrictions on Visitors

From today, hospitals in Hull will only grant patient visits for “exceptional cases only” which must be approved in advance. The Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has said that the decision to reintroduce restrictions has not been taken “lightly” and revolves around preventing the spread of the Omicron variant. BBC News has the story.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said from Wednesday visits will be limited to “exceptional cases only” and must be approved in advance.

Visitors who are given permission to attend must take a lateral flow test.

The Trust said it had taken the decision “to stop the spread of Covid and to address the risk of this specific variant”.

Hospital bosses said birthing partners will still be allowed to attend when a woman is in labour, to visit antenatal and postnatal wards and to attend antenatal appointments such as scans.

One parent will also still be able to visit children in paediatric wards and both parents will be allowed access to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Chief Nurse Beverley Geary said: “Our duty must be to the patients in our care and we must do everything we can to protect them from the threat of Covid.

“We know the vast majority of the public understand that our patients are already vulnerable and catching the virus could have very serious – and indeed deadly – consequences for them.

“We are not introducing this step lightly. We know it distresses relatives and the patients themselves when they can’t have visitors.”

Worth reading in full.