Visiting Arrangements

In line with Scottish Government guidance, from Monday 24th January 2022, patients in all our local hospitals will be able to have one visitor for a 45min visit each day.

All visits must be arranged in advance with ward staff.

Additional visiting information for our Women and Children’s Unit is outlined below.

There are no restrictions on time of the number of people providing support for patients receiving end of life care.

You should not visit if you:

• Are feeling unwell
• Have a new or continuous cough
• Have had sickness or diarrhoea within the last 48 hrs
• Have had a temperature or fever
• Have experienced any change to your normal sense of taste or smell
• Are self isolating because you have been in contact with someone with suspected or confirmed Covid-19
• Plan to use retail facilities, cafes or toilets as these are only for the use of staff, patients and visitors

Visitors should:

• Carry out an lateral flow tests before each and every visit. These can be collected from local Covid-19 testing centres, pharmacies or ordered online for home delivery
• Maintain physical distancing in wards and communal areas
• Wear a surgical face mask – these are available at hospital entrances
• Use hand sanitiser before you enter the hospital and before and after you enter a ward or department or touch anything
• Wear PPE, if required or asked to do so by a member of staff and follow any other guidance in place
• Take the stairs, if possible, to avoid overcrowding in lifts which are restricted to a maximum of two people

Visiting arrangements – Women and Children’s Unit

• Antenatal appointments – one supportive person to accompany to all appointments and one additional visitor (adult or child) may attend subject to local risk assessments and physical distancing.
• Maternity scans – one supportive person may be present for all maternity scans.
• Labour and birth – you can have one birth partner throughout induction, labour and birth (except during a general anaesthetic) and a second birth partner, if requested, subject to local risk assessments and physical distancing.
• Maternity Ward visiting (Ward 8) – one birth partner (as essential) with time restrictions only where required to support physical distancing and one designated visitor can also visit subject to local risk assessments and physical distancing – these visits should be arranged in advance with local ward staff.
• Neonatal visiting – both parents/primary care givers are supported to have maximum access to their baby together, maintaining physical distancing within the Neonatal Unit. where required to support physical distancing and additional visitor attending, alongside either parent, must be arranged in advance with local staff and people may be asked to visit separately to maintain physical distancing within the Neonatal Unit.
• Children’s Ward – patients can have visits from both parents/care givers, maintaining physical distancing within the Children’s Ward and one designated visitor. However, a maximum of two people should visit at any one time to support physical distancing. Siblings may visit as a named visitor or have allocated time. Visits must be arranged prior with staff members and are subject to local risk assessment.
• Paediatric Day Care Unit (PDU) – PDU work as much as possible as a blue zone with planned procedures and will therefore continue to be restricted to one parent with exceptions, where appropriate.

Shops, Toilets & Food Outlets

The restaurant at Forth Valley Royal Hospital is not currently open to the public.

Appointments

Please attend appointments on your own to help maintain physical distancing and avoid waiting areas becoming overcrowded. If you have been driven to a hospital please ask friends or family members to drop you off and return to pick you up later or wait for you in the hospital car park. This is particularly important in the Emergency Department, Outpatient Department, X-ray Department and Minor Injuries Unit as these areas can be very busy.

However, in certain circumstances one person can attend with a patient – this includes:

• when a person may have difficulty understanding what treatment or course of action a clinician is discussing
• where a person has dementia, a learning disability or autism
• where a person is receiving bad news or information that is potentially life-changing
• where a person is receiving a cancer diagnosis or discussing cancer treatment options
• accompanying a pregnant woman to an appointment or scan (this would be a birth partner in most instances)
• where a person is distressed or stressed

Preparing for an operation

Patients must strictly follow the national public health guidance on physical distancing, wearing face coverings and, in particular, reduce their social contacts/interactions for 10 days before surgery and self-isolate for 3 days before their operation.

If you receive an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine for during this 10-day period you should call the local Covid-19 vaccination helpline on 0800 130 3120 to reschedule your appointment. Ideally your vaccine should be given more than ten days before your surgery or one week after.

For further information and advice see the Pre-surgery Advice and Guidance.