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Information relating to Covid-19 & the Vaccination Programme

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The NHS and Public Health England (PHE) are extremely well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

The main symptoms of Coronavirus COVID-19 are:

  • a high temperature
  • a new, continuous cough 
  • a loss, or a change in, your normal sense of smell or taste

If you think you have Coronavirus, please stay at home and use the 119 online Coronavirus service for further advice. 

Staying at home (self-isolation) 

If your symptoms are mild then the advice is to stay at home isolated for 10 days.  Any other members of the same household must remain at home in self-isolation for 14 days.

Visit the NHS Coronavirus information to find out more about self-isolation

To help stop the spread of Coronavirus it is good practice to: 

  • Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water, especially after using or coming into contact with public services. In the absence of soap and water please use a hand sanitiser gel. 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Keep to the Social Distance Guidelines
  • Carry with you tissues, in order to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue after use and wash your hands thoroughly. 

We have strict processes in place to ensure that we keep our patients, visitors and staff safe from the spread of infection. Please ensure that you follow this advice when visiting our hospitals.

From 22 October 2020 visiting restrictions at Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford Hospitals will be increased. This comes as the result of a gradual increase in the number of Covid-19 patients. 

Please continue to check our updates on social media and our website to ensure that you have the most up to date information.

Our hospitals will be restricting all visitors with the exception of:

  • Two visitors for patients receiving end of life care
  • Carer to support in exceptional circumstances e.g. dementia/anxiety/learning disability
  • One parent with a child
  • One accompanying person with an outpatient and ED attendee at the discretion of the clinician

For those under the care of our Maternity Departments, the following exceptions apply:

  • Birthing partner allowed to attend scans only
  • Birthing partner/partners in labour (incl. induction of labour)
  • Birthing partners allowed to visit inpatient areas 8am-8pm – no other visitors or children permitted

Anyone who is feeling unwell, has a cold or has had diarrhoea and/or vomiting within the previous 48 hours is asked NOT to come to hospital.

Further information about our visiting guidelines can be found here

We understand the importance of keeping in touch with your loved ones. We have a variety of ways that enables you to stay connected.

Free WiFi across the Trust

There is free WiFi available to patients at our Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals. This provides our patients the opportunity to use chat apps such as WhatsApp and iMessage.

Virtual Visiting

There are a limited number of iPads available across our Hospital wards. If you wish to virtually visit a loved one, using one of the Trust's iPads, then please contact the ward that your relative is located on.

A member of the team will be able to advise whether a virtual visit is possible and then support your relative to access the equipment.        

Letters to Loved Ones Initiative

Our Letters to Loved Ones Initiative helps family members and friends keep in touch with patients staying on wards at either Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals.

Through the initiative relatives can send get well messages and family photos via a dedicated email address. These messages will the be printed and handed to patients to read and keep. 

Find out more about the initiative and how you can send a message to a loved one.

Calling the Ward

If you wish to telephone one of our wards for an update, please nominate a single family member to make the call.         

Patient Advice and Liaison Service

PALS is a support service available to patients, relatives, carers and visitors. The team can:   

  • Listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries   
  • Help sort out problems quickly on your behalf   
  • Put you in touch with other sources of help    
  • Feedback any issues to our organisation to improve services and our patient experience    
  • Advise you on how to request copies of medical records
  • Providing further information on NHS services 

You can contact the PALS team via nwangliaft.pals@nhs.net 

If you’ve been contacted by the NHS as someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 and are shielding, please follow this advice.
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The Maternity Covid-19 helpline has been reactived. If you have any questions or queries relating to Covid-19 please phone the number below, we are happy to advise.

The new helpline number is 07766253920 and will be open Monday-Friday between 9am-3pm.

Please note that our general maternity helpline is still open and operating as normal for any queries that are not related to Coronvirus.

  • Peterborough Maternity Helpline number: 01733 677266    
  • Hinchingbrooke Maternity Labour ward number: 01480 847480/81   

In light of coronavirus, it is understandable that you may have concerns during your pregnancy. If you have an appointment, or are concerned about the health of you or your baby, it's important that we see you. Just speak to your midwife or maternity team. The NHS is here to see you, safely, please look at the NHS England's advice and guidance on Pregnancy and Coronavirus.  


Guidance for women who are pregnant and due to deliver soon and who have confirmed or suspected coronavirus/COVID-19 showing symptoms outlined below:

        
  • If you are in early labour you should call the maternity unit for advice.
    •    
  • If your intended birth partner has symptoms, or has been in contact with a confirmed case, they will not be able to visit in any area of the maternity unit.
    •   
  • If you have mild coronavirus/ COVID-19 symptoms you should remain at home in early labour as per standard practice but call the maternity unit first for advice.
  • You should come to the hospital in private transport (your own car or someone else giving you a lift) where possible or call 111/999 for advice as appropriate. If an ambulance is required, the call handler should be informed that you are currently in self-isolation for possible coronavirus/COVID-19.
  • You should alert a member of maternity staff that you have arrived at the hospital, remain in your car and phone the labour ward for instructions before you enter the hospital. You can do this by phoning the labour ward.
Guidance for women who are pregnant for antenatal appointments   
  • If you have no symptoms of coronavirus please attend your antenatal appointments as usual unless you are contacted directly by your community midwife.    
  • Please contact your community midwives directly for all queries regarding appointments and where they are taking place as circumstances will be changing daily
  • Please note that GP surgeries and Children’s Centres are likely to be reviewing access to them over the coming weeks and months so location of appointments may change over this period
  • From 15 July, partners will be able to attend normal antenatal scans within maternity at Hinchingbrooke and Peterborough City Hospitals. Partners and women will need to wear a face covering at all times, and abide by our 2m social distancing guidelines. Extra hand sanitiser stations will be provided, which we expect both women and partners to use when entering and leaving the hospital. For more information on this please click here.      

For guidance about getting ready for a home visit from your midwife please click here

Guidance for formula feeding 

  • If you are formula feeding your baby please follow the instructions on the packaging. Please do not water down the feed or add any other milk substitutes. If you have any queries please refer to the website below.

https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2008/02/start4life_guide_to_bottle_-feeding.pdf 

Guidance for breastfeeding    

For more information please visit

 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

This animation sets out what pregnant women should expect from NHS maternity services during the coronavirus. Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwifery Officer, and Dr Matthew Jolly, National Clinical Director for Maternity for the NHS in England explain what might change and why its important to keep in touch with your maternity team.

The Maternity information below will hopefully help to answer any questions or calm any anxieties you may have regarding your pregnancy:      

For the latest information on the number of deaths at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust please click here.
Two new documents about accessing NHS services during coronavirus are now available. One is in easy read format and the other in plain English for those with autism.
Our Outpatient Services are changing in order to keep people safe. Please keep up to date with all the latest changes here.
If you are sending in your own photos to medical photography please the attached guide for taking these that meet the standards medical photography require.
Please visit our COVID-19 Vaccination section for more information.