It has made a real difference seeing friends and relatives being able to visit their loved ones again in our hospitals.
Our Trust had to make the difficult decision to pause visiting with the rising number of COVID-19 cases, but restricted in-patient visiting returned in May.
We realise how important visiting is for the wellbeing of our patients and it also plays a crucial role in their recovery.
Over the last few weeks, we have been reviewing those visiting arrangements and we have made the decision to relax some of the restrictions further – and these changes will be in place from today (Wednesday).
Patients can now have two visitors at any one time between 11.30am and 8pm and there is no longer a limit on how long they can stay for (avoidance of protected mealtimes is still in place.)
We still continue to provide the additional flexibility and support needed for compassionate visiting and those patients with specific needs. Separate arrangements also remain in place for Critical Care, Maternity, Children’s wards, and the Neonatal Unit.
To continue restricting the spread of COVID-19 visitors will be asked to still follow some key requirements, including face coverings.
Thank you all for your support – as you are aware we look after the most vulnerable in our communities and we have to do everything we can to protect them.
Look out on our website sath.nhs.co.uk and our social media channels for information on visiting.
With the bank holiday weekend approaching, I would urge anyone who requires medical attention and is thinking about attending A&E to consider whether our emergency department is the right place to go for the care you need.
A&E is for genuinely life-threatening emergencies – for example chest pains or severe bleeding or burns. If you have a life-threatening illness or injury please continue to dial 999.
But if your condition is not life-threatening, please think of the different treatment options available and visit your local pharmacy or NHS 111 online which will advise you where to go for advice or treatment.
Full details of where to get medical help over the bank holiday weekend can be found on the website of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System..
Last Thursday (18 August) we held an A&E Open Day at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. It was an opportunity for people to learn more about what a career in one of our busiest departments is all about, with live demonstrations, presentations and a Q&A session with the team.
The day was a great success with lots of people showing an interest in working with us.
People are often surprised to hear about the different roles within A&E, which is why we want to raise more awareness of the diverse job opportunities we have at SaTH.
Over the coming weeks we will be recruiting Healthcare Assistants, Emergency Care Technicians, Nurses and many more across both Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals. We also have a new Paramedic role based in A&E and we were pleased to welcome some of the recruits over the summer.
Don’t worry if you missed the event, we will be adding more A&E jobs to our website in the coming days so do keep checking – www.jobs.sath.nhs.uk. Remember you can also stay updated by following our Jobs Facebook page – /SaTHJobs