Patients and Visitors

From Thursday 1 September 2022, all patients, staff, and visitors are no longer required to wear a face mask at St Mary's or our other sites.

These changes have been made in line with national guidance on the mandated use of face masks in healthcare settings and due to the reducing numbers of positive cases.

To continue to protect those who are most vulnerable and at high risk, we ask that the wearing of face masks continues where immunocompromised patients are treated, for example in oncology, haematology and chemotherapy departments.

It remains a priority to help to keep each other, our patients and our community safe and in order to continue to protect those who are vulnerable and of high risk, the following guidance must be followed:

• Visitors who are presenting with respiratory / COVID symptoms, are on a respiratory pathway, or are immunocompromised, should wear a mask if this can be tolerated and deemed safe.
• Visitors may be asked to wear a face mask for specific reasons including in our ‘higher risk’ clinical areas, such as the respiratory department and intensive care unit. Please speak to the ward or department you are visiting if you are unsure whether you need to wear a mask.
• Vulnerable and high-risk patients and visitors can ask staff members to wear a face mask, and will continue to be available to those who choose to wear one.
• All visitors should continue to sanitise their hands on entering and leaving the hospital and ward or department.

Many people will continue to choose to wear a face mask as their personal preference and this decision will be fully supported by the Trust.

Every entrance will continue to have a supply of masks and hand gel for people to use as they enter our hospital site.

There are other things to we can continue to do that will help to keep everyone safe:

• Use hand gel when visiting the hospital or other Trust sites
• Stay away from hospital if you have symptoms, or are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• Attend appointments on your own, wherever possible
• Choose the right service if you are unwell and need medical advice – consider a pharmacy, visiting NHS 111 online or contacting your GP
• If it is an emergency, always call 999

We would like to thank everyone for their support, and to be assured that our COVID-19 measures will be regularly reviewed.

Ward visiting information

Patients on the following wards can have 2 visitor a day for 1 hour between 10am and 8pm and it doesn’t need to be the same people each day. Visitors are no longer required to book a visiting slot.

Ward name	Phone number
Alverstone	534711
Appley Ward	534589
Colwell Ward	534472
Compton Ward	534055
Coronary Care Unit	552142
Mottistone	534291
Short Stay Unit (SSU)	534707
Luccombe	534717
St Helens	534701
Stroke Unit	534311

Additional information

Maternity Department

Two birth partners are allowed and up to 2 siblings at a time may visit with an adult.

Who to contact

If you have questions about this guidance or how to implement it, please contact: Patient Experience Team on: 01983 534420 or via email: iownt.PatientExperience@nhs.net