Information for the public

Please use the links below to find out more:

Important Information

We have put temporary measures in place to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff. These include:

  • Taking the difficult decision to suspend visiting at our hospitals. There some exceptions to this, please see our news item for more details. 
  • If you are attending our hospitals for any reason then please be sure to read our guidance for visitors before attending. Key points include:
    • Outpatients and visitors must wear face masks when in one of our hospitals. These will be provided upon entering. Please note: if you have a known latex allergy please ensure you bring a face covering with you.
    • Closing some of our public entrances to our hospitals (note: staff are still able to get through with access codes)
  • We have created a supplementary coronavirus Privacy Notice to explain how we may use your information during the outbreak to protect you and others. More information from NHSX is available here

Coronavirus Health information

Please use the NHS website for general health information about coronavirus and when to seek medical help.

Do not leave your home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Do not leave your home if you have either:

  • a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
  • a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.

Managing Recovery

NHS: Your COVID Recovery
Chartered Society of Physio Therapy: COVID-19 Road to Recovery
Animated YouTube Video
Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation

After Being in a Healthcare Setting

After being discharged from A&E or a GP consultation: Coronavirus Information
After being discharged from a hospital stay: Coronavirus Information

Every Action Counts – A Video from the NHS

Coronavirus Testing Information

Everyone who is showing coronavirus symptoms is eligible to book a test to find out if they have the virus.

You can get a test:

  • for yourself, if you have coronavirus symptoms
  • for someone you live with, if they have coronavirus symptoms
  • for yourself, if you’ve been told to have a test before you go into hospital eg for surgery

When to apply for a test

If you have coronavirus symptoms, you need to book a test immediately. You need to get the test done in the first five days of having symptoms. If you don’t have symptoms, you can only get a test if your hospital, GP or local council has told you to get one.

If you ask for a home test kit, this will be delivered to your home.

You’ll need to do the test and return it within 48 hours so that the test results are accurate. You will be given instructions on how to take the test at home once you book for one.

If you book an appointment you will be notified to go to a mobile testing unit (MTU) in:

Telford & Wrekin drive through only:

Randlay Valley Car Park,
TF3 2DW

Iron Bridge park and ride
TF4 3QE

Shropshire drive through only:

Wem Swimming & Lifestyle Centre Car Park,
Bowens Field, Wem,
SY4 5AP

Telford and Wrekin walk-in test centres:

Harper Adams University
Harris Overflow Car Park
TF10 8NB

Wellington
Wrekin Road Car Park
TF1 1YZ

Donnington
Donnington Wood Bowling Club,
TF2 8HU

Oakengates
The Place Car Park
TF2 6EN

Madeley
Legges way car park
TF7 5UD

Shropshire walk-in test centres:

London Road Car Park,
Shrewsbury,
SY2 6PG

Beatrice Street Car Park
Oswestry
SY11 1QW

Some useful links:

Coronavirus Vaccination Information

Following extensive trials, two safe and effective vaccines for coronavirus (COVID-19) are now approved for use in the UK.

The NHS vaccination programme is underway in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin as part of the national roll out.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is our best defence against the virus.

When it is your turn to be vaccinated, the NHS will contact you. Please do not contact the NHS.

We understand a lot of people want to be vaccinated and we would like to reassure you this will happen. Please be patient and wait to be contacted. For further information on why you are being asked to wait for your COVID-19 vaccine, please read the information on the GOV.UK website or this leaflet.

The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus.

The NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine. People are being called forward who meet the criteria based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s recommendations.

The following priority groups have now been offered the vaccine:

  1. Residents in a care home for older adults, and their carers
  2. Over 80s, frontline health and care staff
  3. Over 75s
  4. Over 70s, and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
  5. Over 65s
  6. All individuals aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, in receipt of carers allowance, or a main carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of Covid-19
  7. Over 60s
  8. Over 55s
  9. Over 50s

Eligibility

We are following the guidance issued by the JCVI (Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation) and vaccinating people in a priority order based on the JCVI’s determination of risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19.

You do not need to wait to be contacted before booking your vaccine appointment if any of the following apply:

  • you are aged 18 or over
  • you are at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
  • you are an eligible frontline health or social care worker
  • you have a condition that puts you at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
  • you have a learning disability
  • you get a Carer’s Allowance, get support following an assessment by your local authority or your GP record shows you’re a carer

If you are in any of these groups you can book your appointment at a larger vaccination centre or a pharmacy that provides COVID-19 vaccinations via the online coronavirus vaccination appointments facility now or call 119.

Alternatively, you can wait to be contacted by the NHS.

Phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination programme

In Mid-April we began phase 2 of the vaccination programme. Phase 2 will include people aged 40 to 49 years who are at highest risk of hospitalisation, with the risk reducing the younger you are.

Prioritisation will therefore continue in the following order, once all at-risk groups in Phase 1 have been offered at least one dose of the vaccine:

  • all those aged 40 to 49 years
  • all those aged 30 to 39 years
  • all those aged 18 to 29 years

The committee agreed that mass vaccination targeting occupational groups would be more complex to deliver and may slow down the vaccine programme, leaving some more vulnerable people at higher risk not being vaccinated for longer.

In the meantime, please do not contact the NHS to ask for a vaccination appointment.

You will be contacted when it is your turn.

You will be invited to attend a vaccination appointment There are three ways you might be contacted to get your vaccination.

  1. Using local GP service. GP services are working together in your area to vaccinate as many people as possible. You may be contacted by a different surgery to the one you usually go to.
  2. Local hospital service. You might be contacted to have the vaccination as an inpatient or outpatient
  3. At a vaccination centre or local pharmacy service. If you live within 45 minutes of a vaccination centre or local pharmacy service, and haven’t already been vaccinated, you may have received a letter asking you to book an appointment online.

All vaccinations are by appointment only. People who are eligible for appointments will receive letters from the National Booking Service, telling you how to book an appointment or will be contacted by their local GP practice. The public are being asked not to contact their GP practice or local hospital to book a Covid-19 vaccination.

If you can’t travel to a vaccination centre, or there is another reason you can’t book an appointment at the nearest vaccination centre, you can choose to wait until your local GP services contact you if they haven’t already. If this is your preferred option – you don’t need to do anything now – wait for your GP service to make contact.

If you receive a letter and already have an appointment booked to have your vaccination at a local GP service please ignore the letter. There is nothing you need to do and please attend your appointment.

Vaccination started in the county in mid-December and a list of COVID-19 vaccination centres are detailed below, and are also available to view on NHS England’s website:

Vaccination sites across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin providing significant capacity and accessibility for residents and staff.

These include:

  • Vaccination centres:
    • Telford International Centre – St Quentin Gate, Telford TF3 4JH
    • Shrewsbury Indoor Bowls Centre – Shrewsbury Sports Village, Sundorne Road SY1 4RQ
    • Ludlow Racecourse – Bromfield, Ludlow SY8 2BT
    • Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital – Gobowen, Oswestry SY10 7AG
  • Local Vaccination Services (appointments managed by GPs):
    • Bridgnorth Medical Practice, Northgate, Bridgnorth WV16 4EN delivered by GPs in the South East Shropshire Primary Care Network (PCN)
    • Malinslee Healthcare Centre, Farm Lodge Grove, Telford TF3 2HN delivered by GPs in the Teldoc PCN
    • Church Stretton Medical Practice, Easthope Road, Church Stretton SY6 6BL delivered by in the GPs South West Shropshire PCN
  • Community Pharmacies:
    • AFC Telford United, the Bucks Way, Wellington TF1 2TU delivered by Wellington Pharmacy
    • Spring Lamb, Shrewsbury Road, Oswestry SY11 4QA delivered by Day Lewis Pharmacy
    • Bicton Heath Shopping Centre, Welshpool Road, Shrewsbury SY3 5AD delivered by Bicton Heath Pharmacy
    • Park Lane Centre, Park Lane, Woodside, Telford TF7 5QZ delivered by Woodside Pharmacy
    • Turreff Hall, Donnington, Telford TF2 8HG delivered by Donnington Pharmacy
    • Beacon Community Centre, 12 Drayton Grove, Market Drayton TF9 3AD delivered by Trentham Road Pharmacy

A list of vaccination sites is available on NHS England’s website

Assisted Transport Arrangements

Click here for more information on free transport to help Shropshire residents get a vaccination.

Care Homes

100% of all older person care home residents and staff in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin have been offered the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.

The older people vaccinated in care homes received their jabs under the care of the county’s GP practices.

For dates of walk-in vaccination clinics in the local area please see the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care System Website.

In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin you will be invited to attend an appointment at a GP surgery, a Vaccination Centre, or in some cases, a Hospital Hub.

All vaccinations are by appointment only. People who are eligible for appointments will receive letters from the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Service, telling you how to book an appointment. You may also be contacted by your local GP practice. Please do not contact your GP practice or local hospital if you haven’t received an invite yet.

If you have been sent an invitation letter, please bring this with you as we will need your NHS number in order to update your record. Please note, some GP practices may not send a letter.

If you are a frontline worker, please bring your staff identification.

You are asked to attend your appointment alone unless you require a nominated carer for medical reasons. Please do not bring any other family members or friends as they will not be offered the vaccine or be able to wait in the centre.

Please be aware people who turn up at vaccination services without an appointment, who are not identified in the four top priority groups and do not have a letter or staff identification will be turned away.

Although we have measures in place to keep you and our staff safe, please wear a face covering when attending your appointment. It is also advisable to wear loose clothing as the vaccination is given in your upper arm.

The video below shows what happens at a typical vaccination appointment at Telford International Centre:

The video below shows what happens at a typical vaccination appointment at Shrewsbury Indoor Bowls Centre Vaccination Centre:

The video below shows what happens at a typical vaccination appointment at Ludlow Racecourse Vaccination Centre:

The video below shows what happens at a typical vaccination appointment at Robert Jones Agnus Hunt Vaccination Centre:

Watch the video below to hear from one of our Covid-19 vaccinators, Gemma. Gemma is a registered nurse and has taken time out of her normal role to help support Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin vaccination programme as a vaccinator.

Help us to help you:

  • Please don’t contact your GP practice, the wider NHS or any of the community venues to seek a vaccine until it’s your turn;
  • Please attend your booked appointments;
  • Please do not arrive too early for your vaccination appointment to help us maintain social distancing;
  • Please continue to follow all the rules to control the virus and save lives.

The vaccine

  • The vaccine is given in two doses. If you have had your first jab, you will be contacted about getting your second. Appointments will be held 12 weeks apart, based on updated guidance from the UK’s Chief Medical Officers.
  • The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 infection, and it will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. We do not yet know whether it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus. So, it is important to follow the guidance in your local area to protect those around you.

If you’ve had your first vaccine dose already, you may have had your second dose appointment booked, if not, the NHS will contact you when it’s time for your second dose. If you are not contacted, please call the booking line that organised your first appointment.  Please make sure you attend your second appointment. The first dose of the vaccine offers good levels of protection, but to get maximum protection everyone will need to get a second dose.

Always take your ID and the card you were given when you received your first vaccine. This details which vaccine you received so that vaccinators can be sure you are receiving the correct second dose.

How will I be invited for the second dose of my vaccination?

The COVID-19 vaccination is given as two doses.

If you are aged 49 or under you will have the second dose 11 to 12 weeks after having the first dose.

If you are aged 50 or over (or from a higher risk group) your second dose appointment may be brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks. The NHS will contact you by text, letter or email if your appointment needs to be moved, there is no need to contact the NHS or your GP.

If you have had your first dose and have not yet been offered an appointment for your second dose, you will be contacted with an appointment for your second vaccination in due course. You will be contacted by the team you received your first dose of the vaccine from.

If you have chosen to be vaccinated in one of the vaccination centres, you will have booked both the first and second vaccinations at the same time when you book online or via 119.

Can I have my second dose in a different place?

People using the National Booking Service (booking into a vaccination centre, GP-led or community pharmacy site) are given their closest available appointment locations. Most people will have their second dose at the same location they had their first dose.

People who had their first dose through a GP service should be invited for their second dose through the same GP service.

People who had their first dose at a Hospital Hub site should be invited or be able to book their second dose at the same location.

There are other circumstances in which it may be appropriate for a patient to receive their second dose in a different location to their first dose, for example, discharged outpatients, students, doctors in training on rotation to hospitals, people who have become housebound or moved into a care home since their first dose, or patients who have moved to a new house to somewhere a long way away from where they had their first dose.

How effective is the first vaccine injection without getting the second one? 

It is important to have both doses of the vaccine to give you the best protection. While the first dose acts as an important immune response primer, the second dose is needed to boost your body’s immune response to the COVID-19 virus providing the best protection for you.

It is also important to note that immunity is not instant once you have received your vaccination. It will take a period of time for your body to produce the antibodies needed to produce an effective immune response to fight future COVID-19 infection. Therefore, it is important that even after you have had the COVID-19 vaccine you adhere to the current public health advice including social distancing and practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene.

What happens if a person has the first jab but not the second? 

Both Pfizer and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines have been authorised on the basis of two doses because the evidence from the clinical trials shows that this gives the maximum level of protection. The evidence doesn’t show any risk to not having the second dose other than not being as protected as you otherwise would be. We would urge everyone to show up for both of their appointments for their own protection as well as to ensure we don’t waste vaccines or the time of NHS staff.

If I had the Pfizer vaccine in the first jab, can I have the AstraZeneca vaccine for my second one?

Public Health England, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have all been very clear that in the absence of trial data to show it is safe and effective, doses should not be mixed. If you have a first dose of one vaccine, your second dose will be of that same vaccine too and that is what NHS organisations have been instructed to do.

What happens if I don’t go for my second appointment?

The first dose of both COVID-19 vaccines will provide short term protection. It is important to get the second dose to provide fuller, longer term protection against COVID-19.

What is the second dose guidance for pregnant women?

PHE’s Green Book advises that ‘Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the preferred vaccines for pregnant women of any age, because of more extensive experience of their use in pregnancy. Pregnant women who commenced vaccination with AstraZeneca, however, are advised to complete with the same vaccine’. ‘If a woman finds out she is pregnant after she has started a course of vaccine, she may complete vaccination during pregnancy using the same vaccine product (unless contra-indicated). Alternatively, vaccination should be offered as soon as possible after pregnancy.’

Updated: 26/07/2021

You can be vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) if you’re aged 18 or over and:

  • you’re pregnant or think you might be
  • you’re breastfeeding
  • you’re trying for a baby or might get pregnant in the future

For the latest information and advice please click here.

Additional resources

Click here or see below, to watch local healthcare staff provide the answers to some frequently asked questions:

Click here for more information for all women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant or breastfeeding on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination from Public Health England. Information available in:

  • English
  • Albanian
  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Chinese
  • Farsi
  • French
  • Gujarati
  • Hindi
  • Kurdish
  • Nepali
  • Polish
  • Punjabi
  • Romanian
  • Somali
  • Spanish
  • Tagalog
  • Turkish
  • Urdu
  • Ukrainian

Click here for an EASY READ leaflet for all women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant or breastfeeding on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination from Public Health England

Click here to read more from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Click here if you are pregnant and have been offered the Covid-19 vaccination – this document aims to support women make a personal informed choice about whether to accept a COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, in discussion with a healthcare professional

Click here or see below to listen to Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam is a consultant in the National Immunisation team at Public Health England discuss Covid-19 vaccines and fertility

Accessible versions:

British Sign Language materials

Local videos about staying safe and the vaccine

There are a number of local videos with healthcare staff and communities. These include talking head and Q&A videos in English, Urdu, Polish, Romanian, Malayalam, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi, Czech/Slovak and Chinese.

The videos are available on the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System YouTube channel and on Telford & Wrekin Council’s website.

NHS doctors, nurses and other frontline staff have recorded messages in Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu and Yoruba. These are available on the NHS Website. You can also access the script in English.

Others available: British Asian doctors explain the importance of vaccines for fighting coronavirus in five South Asian languages: Sylheti, Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Punjabi. For more information in English, check out this explainer.

COVID-19 Vaccine and Ethnic Minorities

COVID-19 vaccine and ethnic minorities – tackling disinformation

 Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?

Has the COVID-19 vaccine been tested on people like me?

How was the COVID-19 vaccine developed so quickly?

What is in the COVID-19 vaccine and how does it work?

What are the long term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

For more information about the vaccine, the Government has provided thorough descriptions of each vaccine and how they work:

You can also visit www.nhs.uk/CovidVaccine.

18 June 2021: Walk-in Covid-19 Vaccination Clinics for 40-year olds and over in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

10 June 2021: Shrewsbury Town Manager Steve Cotterill encourages local people to get vaccinated

20 May 2021: Covid Vaccination Service Update

17 May 2021: Covid-19 Vaccine Survey for Young Adults

12 May 2021: NHS To Invite People Aged 38 and 39 For Life Saving Covid-19 Jab

30 April 2021: Healthcare Leaders Stress Importance of COVID-19 Second Dose Vaccine

29 April 2021: Talking about COVID Vaccination

26 April 2021: Shropshire’s Lord-Lieutenant Praises the “determination and focus” of Vaccination Centre Staff and Volunteers at RJAH

16 April 2021: Shropshire communities urged to keep coming forward to receive jabs during Ramadan

17 March 2021: NHS England invites everyone aged 50 and over to be jabbed as NHS vaccination programme marks 100th day

14 March 2021: NHS text drive to invite millions at risk for lifesaving Covid jab

09 March 2021: NHS Text Alerts for Life-Saving COVID Jab

08 March 2021: Hundreds of people step up to join vaccination service in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin

07 March 2021: NHS Invites People Aged 56 To 59 For Their Covid Jab

28 February 2021: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has considered the evidence for Phase 2 of the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme

25 February 2021: More Local People in Their 60s to Receive Their Vaccines

23 February 2021: Unpaid Carers to Receive their Vaccinations

16 February 2021: More people to be offered the vaccine as local NHS hits it’s targets

14 February 2021: NHS offers COVID jab to clinically vulnerable and people 65 to 69

09 February 2021: Thank you for your support!

08 February 2021: Call for people aged 70 and over to contact NHS for a COVID jab

08 February 2021: Thank you to everyone working tirelessly on COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

04 February 2021: New COVID-19 Vaccination Centre Opens in Shrewsbury

02 February 2021: Residents in all Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin older people’s care homes get first Covid-19 vaccine

02 February 2021: Three more COVID-19 Vaccination Centres to open in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

31 January 2021: Local BAME communities urged to take up vaccine offer

28 January 2021: Six further vaccination services go live in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

14 January 2021: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Pharmacy First to Deliver COVID Jabs

11 January 2021: Large NHS vaccination centres rolled out and more on their way

07 January 2021: New covid vaccination hospital hub opens at RJAH

05 January 2021: Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Covid-19 vaccine rollout: Please wait to be contacted

30 December 2020: First care home residents in Telford and Wrekin get Covid-19 vaccination

22 December 2020: Be a part of history and help in the battle to beat covid

17 December 20201: Shropshire patients get the Covid-19 vaccination closer to home

12 December 2020: Rollout of Covid-19 vaccination gets underway

Read the latest Frequently Asked Questions.

‘Talking about Covid-19 vaccinations’ –  a question and answer video with local specialists from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

We know that there is a lot of information out there about Covid-19 vaccination which can make it hard for people to find what they need so we pulled together a panel of local specialists to answer some of the questions we’ve been asked by our local communities.

COVID-19 Vaccination data is now released daily, weekly and monthly on the NHS England website.

For helpful information for people with a learning disability click here.

Josh shares his experience of having the COVID vaccine

 

Vaccination Case Study – Dr Jayesh Makan
Vaccination Advocate – Kwasi

Help and Support

e-library and audio books

  • Calibre Audio is a charity which lend free audiobooks for anyone who is print disabled
  • You can join an online library to access e-books, magazines and audiobooks: Shropshire e-Library

Telford & Wrekin

Shropshire

Powys

Young Carers

Helpful information to answer questions from children:

Advice for Families on Co-Parenting

Maintaining relationships

Information for Children and Young People

Exercises for People with Disabilities:

  • If you feel isolated and need someone to talk to or need practical help: Campaign to End Loneliness
  • Age UK have a 24 hour chat line: 0800 4708090
  • Age Cymru is offering a check in and chat telephone service for the over 70s in Wales who live alone: 0800 223 444 or online.

Measures announced to help limit the spread of Coronavirus include people staying at home wherever possible. However, there are some circumstances in which help and support may be needed. No matter what the circumstances are, there is never an excuse for domestic abuse.

Staying in touch

Whilst it is a difficult time due to coronavirus and there are restrictions in place which prevent you from seeing family and friends who may be receiving treatment and care within the hospital, there are ways you can stay in touch or let them know that you are thinking of them.

Telephone or Video Call

There is free NHS WiFi available across the Trust. If the person you care about is in hospital and they have a mobile phone or tablet with them then you can contact them by telephone or video call. Another option is to record a message for them which they can listen to or watch.

Send a Comfort Pebble

If someone you care about is being treated for coronavirus then you can send them a comfort pebble to let them know that you are thinking of them. Comfort pebbles have been introduced to enable the person you care for to have something that they can hold and keep close to them as a reminder of their family and friends who are thinking of them. CLICK HERE TO SEND A PEBBLE.

Send a Message

Do you have a loved one staying in one of our hospitals? You can now brighten their day by sending them a message that will be safely printed and delivered to them! For more information and to send your message please visit the Send Your Message page.

Video Call

Links for how to stay in touch using:

WhatsApp:

If you can’t find the resources you are looking for they may be available through Health Education England, information is frequently added from trusted sources and has sections tailored for children and young people, older people, people who require information in accessible formats:  https://library.nhs.uk/coronavirus-resources/

Healthwatch Shropshire wants to know how the current pandemic is affecting people in Shropshire, their well-being, how they are finding useful information, how they are being supported, what helps them cope and how their experience of health and social care has been affected. You can read more and take the survey on the Healthwatch Website.

Changes to visiting/Dropping off Items for Patients

We have taken the difficult decision to suspend visiting at our hospitals. This decision has not been made lightly and aims to reduce the number of people coming into the hospitals, in order to protect patients. There are some exceptions to this:

  • Children’s Ward: One parent/carer will be allowed to be with the child. Two named guardians are permitted and these visitors can alternate. The same applies for patients under the age of 18, who are not on a paediatric ward.
  • Maternity:
    • Delivery Suite: Two birth partners can attend and will be given a visiting wristband
    • Antenatal (Ward 22) and Postnatal (Ward 21): open for visiting between 9am and 8.30pm for the named support partner only. Visitors will be asked to wear a hospital-supplied surgical mask for the duration of their visit. Named visitors are being asked to test themselves for COVID-19 before visiting the hospital to ensure the safety of patients and staff. Anyone who has not self-tested will be given a lateral flow test before they enter the ward
    • Antenatal and Ultrasound Appointments: one support partner is allowed to accompany each woman to their booking appointment (at around 12 weeks), 16 weeks, 25 weeks, 28 weeks, 31 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, 38 weeks, 40 weeks and 41 weeks
    • Neonatal: Two parents, or a parent and named guardian, are now able to visit the unit together and have access to the unit at any time, day or night.
  • End of life care patients: Will be permitted to receive visitors but this will be restricted to next of kin and an additional two visitors
  • Specific needs: You will be able to accompany someone into our hospitals if you are:
    • supporting them and the patient has a mental health issue such as dementia; a learning disability or autism where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed
    • a carer for a vulnerable patient, or interpreter
    • supporting them at an outpatient appointment where they may become distressed
    • where possible, the person supporting the patient should be from the same household or social bubble as the patient

If you are visiting our hospitals for any reason then please be sure to read our guidance for visitors before attending. Key points include:

Patient Property Drop Off

With visiting restrictions currently in place, it is important to keep patients connected with the people who are important to them.

We have introduced a patient property drop off service to enable relatives/friends to drop off essential items and collect any items the patient wishes to send home. Only one relative or friend should come on to the site to bring the bag.

The service will run from 9.00am to 4.00pm 7 days a week (excluding Bank Holidays) at the designated drop off areas.

These are:

  • The Ward Block entrance at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and
  • The main entrance at the Princess Royal Hospital.

Please click here to access the site map.

Important information:

Only 1 bag of essential belongings can be dropped off. The bag should be wipeable and no bigger than approximately 60cm x 60cm.

The bag must be labelled with the following information:

  • Patient’s name and date of birth (if known),
  • The ward the patient is on, and
  • The name and telephone number of the person dropping the bag off.

You will be asked to show your ID when you arrive to confirm your identity.

You will also be asked to fill in a form to confirm the items which have been dropped off/collected.

What to Bring: What not to bring:
  • Toiletries,
  • Clothing items,
  • Glasses, dentures, and hearing aids,
  • Toothbrush and hairbrush,
  • Mobile phone/tablet,
  • Headphones,
  • Chargers,
  • Books/magazines,
  • A letter for your loved one or photograph,
  • Small items of food that do not need to go in the fridge (e.g. biscuits, fruit squash).
  • Large bags or cases,
  • Valuables (e.g. jewellery),
  • Large amounts of money,
  • Flowers, plants or balloons,
  • Glass or breakable containers,
  • Cooked or uncooked meals, and

Sharp items, aerosols and other items that may pose a risk.

Are you self-isolating or are unable to drop items off?

You can now purchase items from our League of Friends shop at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Friends of PRH shop at the Princess Royal Hospital, which will be delivered to your loved one. Items which can be purchased include: toiletries, magazines, cards and small items of food that do not need to go in the fridge (e.g. biscuits). Purchases are subject to a £5 minimum and your card details will be taken over the phone.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: Email: lee.herkes@nhs.net Phone: 01743 261008

Princess Royal Hospital: Email: tanya.griffin@nhs.net Phone: 01952 641222 ext: 4211

Changes to parking

Car parking charges for visitors and patients have now been re-introduced at Shropshire’s acute hospitals following the end of Government financial support for the income lost. More information about parking charges is available here

Information for pregnant women

Information for pregnant women, including frequently asked questions, is available on our maternity services page.

Information in other formats & languages

Signal: local help and support

Advice in BSL: Daily updates provided by the Deaf Health Charity Signhealth

NHS 111 Symptom Checker with British Sign Language Interpretation  

Government information

COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination in BSL

COVID-19 Phase2 vaccination guide

Pregnancy and Coronavirus

Guide for if your NHS COVID-19 post-vaccination letter has not arrived

Long COVID part 2

Every Mind Matters, top ten tips:

Bengali
Gujarati 
Polish 
Punjabi 
Romani 
Romanian 
Russian 
Somali 
Urdu 

Please see our Easy Read Patient Information page.

An introduction to coronavirus
Coronavirus information
Makaton signing to aid communication during COVID-19

Books beyond words are books with no text – they have no language barrier, and can be easier to understand. The books can be used by the images alone or through looking at the images with someone who shares the story with you. The books help the person to tell the story in their own words and start discussion on what is seen.

Want to Help?

An incredible amount of people have messaged us with kind offers of support, including food, accommodation and donations. This support is invaluable to us. If you think you can help, then please email us at we.supportsath@nhs.net – please include details and any contact information and a member of the team will get back to you.

PPE
If you/your company would like to donate or help with PPE then please visit our dedicated PPE Page.

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