The NHS Trust in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals issued a notice to patients and staff stating: “We still ask patients, visitors, staff and anyone working at any of our hospitals or public facilities to continue wearing a mask, gel hands and social distance while in our buildings despite the removal of national restrictions.
“This is to keep vulnerable people as safe as possible.”
A similar call came from the NHS Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust, which issued a statement saying: “All ward visitors should wear a mask to protect our patients and staff from the spread of Covid-19 and other infections.
The trust of Croydon Health Services NHS also advises people to still wear masks.
However, a different approach has been taken by the Ashford and St. Peter’s Trusts in Surrey.
A statement said: “Following the update of the national guidelines, visitors and those accompanying patients to outpatient or emergency departments are no longer required to wear a face mask. You can wear a face covering if this is your personal preference.
The trust of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation said: “In accordance with national guidelines, the requirement to wear masks in health facilities will end in our hospitals on Tuesday, June 7.
“There are some exceptions, including inpatient / outpatient oncology and hematology areas, Covid-19 cohort areas and all kinds of Covid outbreak units.
Wear “if tolerable” masks
National guidelines state that patients with respiratory symptoms, such as cough, should continue to wear face masks or coatings “if tolerated”.
Those admitted to hospital with Covid-19 or suspected of having Covid should also be provided with a face mask when admitted to a ward or public area, “if this can be tolerated and considers it safe for the patient, “he added.
Patients with Covid-19 in single rooms will not normally be required to wear a mask.
Hospital patients who do not have Covid should not wear a face mask unless it is their “personal preference”, the letter added.
However, they may be requested in some high-risk areas, such as cancer wards, blood treatment services or elderly care wards.
With regard to health and medical staff, the use of masks is still recommended in high-risk areas, but the rules must be “guided by local assessment”.
The staff wears masks as part of the PPE
Personnel who may come into contact with someone with Covid-19 should also wear masks as part of their personal protective equipment (PPE). This may include Covid wards, A&E wards and GP surgeries.
It should be borne in mind the wearing of a universal mask by staff when there is a local outbreak of cases, added in the manual.
Staff should no longer wear masks in non-clinical areas such as staff rooms and offices.
The letter added that all measures to control infections above and beyond those set out in the national guidelines were “a matter for local discretion”.
Rules for visitors
He also suggested that most rules for visitors should return to policies before the pandemic.
Visitors may be asked to wear face masks in high-risk areas, but will not be routinely asked to wear masks when accompanying patients to other parts of hospitals, “although they may be encouraged to do so after a local risk assessment. “, The letter reads. added.
The letter, written by Professor Sir Stephen Powys, NHS National Medical Director for England, and Duncan Burton, Deputy Chief Nurse for England, said infection control measures were limiting hospital capacity and slowing the flow of patients.
However, he suggests that hospitals must make their own decisions about whether to impose any rules that go beyond national guidelines.
“We understand that there may be a transition period as providers make changes to their operating procedures, especially given local variations in Covid-19 infection rates,” the letter said.
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