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Care Opinion

Restricted visiting hours

Posted By rainjg78

"Restricted visiting hours"

About: Rockingham General Hospital

(as a relative),

We have restricted visiting hours at hospitals during this difficult time. Most of us are trying to keep within the rules but I feel they are being got around by some people. At Rockingham General Hospital I believe it is possible for those patients who are able to move around to go outside the hospital and have more than one visitor and to also have visitors outside the set hours.

Recently, my morning visit with my spouse was cut short because of what I believe was an overzealous specialist not allowing me to accompany my spouse during their session. Then I find out that another patient, I believe, was allowed to have their visitor present in the gym area with them.

Also one night, I believe a member of the nursing staff spent the whole hour with a patient that was known to them I believe, and was still sitting with this person holding their hand after I had to leave.

My spouse was admitted to hospital before all this started and the only place I have been is to visit them and home. This has been going on for a few weeks now and it is having a negative effect on our mental health. My spouse is also in a single bed ward so I believe there is no chance of me being in contact with another patient.

In my opinion, there seems to be one rule for some and another for others.

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Responses

Response from Kath Smith, Executive Director, Rockingham Peel Group, South Metropolitan Health Service 4 years ago
Kath Smith
Executive Director, Rockingham Peel Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 8/04/2020 at 6:19 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 9/04/2020 at 8:41 AM

picture of Kath Smith

Dear rainjg78,

Thank you for your feedback and we sincerely appreciate you trying to do the right thing regarding the restricted visiting hours that have been put in place during this challenging time, it really does make a difference.

I am sure you have found it very difficult being separated from your loved one and understand that it may feel unfair when others do not adhere to the rules.

I wanted to reassure that we are doing our best to enforce the changes to the visiting hours in our hospital but share with you that there a number of circumstances where for clinical reasons why we have had to allow some flexibility in these rules.

For example, there are times when we need to provide training to family members prior to safely discharging their loved one into their care and this was the case with the visitor you observed in the gym.

Also, there are instances when patients require one on one support to ensure their safety whilst in our care and this may have been why you noticed the nurse sitting with a patient for an extended period of time.

I hope these explanations have allayed some of your concerns and again thank you for doing the right thing.

Kind regards,

Kath Smith

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