NHSE/I updates guidance on inpatient visiting, allowing it only 'in a very careful and COVID-secure way'

This ‘Visiting health care inpatient settings during the COVID-19 pandemic’ guidance replaces NHS visitor guidance from 5 June 2020 (which reintroduced inpatient visiting ‘subject to local discretion’). The new guidance states that visiting is allowed ‘in a very careful and COVID-secure way’ and sets out principles for visiting policies – ‘organisations can exercise discretion where Covid rates are higher’.

Visiting is limited to one person unless there are specific needs, agreement has been made with the clinical team and social distancing can be maintained – in this case up to four visitors are permitted. Visitors should contact the clinical area beforehand to discuss local arrangements in place; this includes advice on social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment, hand washing and changes to visiting times. Face coverings are to be worn by all visitors when entering and moving through the health care setting. Surgical facemasks are required in high-risk settings or with patients with suspected or known COVID-19. If a visitor has symptoms of COVID-19 they should not visit. NHS trusts are advised to keep record of visitors to facilitate contact tracing if needed. For adults at the end of life, local teams will ‘use their own risk-based assessment’ to guide visiting arrangements. ‘Every effort’ will be made to facilitate a parent or guardian of ‘children and young people who are dying’ being present. Where face-to-face visits are not feasible, virtual visits should be facilitated. This applies across healthncare inpatient settings but ‘can also be applied in outpatient and diagnostic service settings’.