Coronavirus (COVID-19): Important information

UPDATED: Thursday 01 April 2021

 

COVID-19 vaccine

Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine?

The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus.

In England, the vaccine is being offered in some hospitals and pharmacies, at local vaccination centres run by GPs and at larger vaccination centres. More centres are opening all the time.

It's being given to:

• people aged 50 and over
• people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
• people who live or work in care homes
• health and social care workers
• unpaid carers.

If you are eligible for a vaccination and have not yet been contacted you can book an appointment on the NHS website here.

For further information, please refer to the COVID-19 Vaccine Questions and Answers fact sheet, or visit the national COVID-19 vaccination information page at www.nhs.uk/CovidVaccine.

Hospital information

Visiting arrangements

Until further notice, visiting is only permitted in the following exceptional circumstances:

• Patients who are in their last week of life and receiving end of life care
• One carer who is supporting someone with a mental health issue, cognitive impairment such as dementia, a learning disability or autism, where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed.

The Clinical Team caring for a patient will identify whether the exceptional circumstances apply for an individual patient. This may be upon admission or during an inpatient stay if a patient deteriorates and is considered to be in their last week of life.

Visitors will only be allowed to enter the hospital if this has been arranged in advance with the clinical team. Patients will not be allowed to leave the ward to meet relatives in communal areas in the hospital such as reception or café areas. 

Outpatient appointments 

If you are attending an outpatient appointment, to maintain safe social distancing and reduce the risk of infection, we please ask that you attend your appointment alone. If you need to be accompanied, one carer is permitted in exceptional circumstances, but please discuss this with your care team beforehand. Any other relatives or friends will be required to wait outside of the hospital.

Emergency Department

If you are attending one of our Emergency Departments, one carer is permitted to accompany a patient in exceptional circumstances. Please speak to staff on arrival for more information. Any other relatives or friends will be required to wait outside of the hospital.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our patients, communities and staff across the organisation remain our absolute priority. Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this challenging time. We will review these arrangements on a regular basis.

Read more about visiting here.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this challenging time.

Wearing of face coverings – patients and visitors

We can all play a role in reducing the spread of coronavirus and keeping our hospitals safe. If you are coming to hospital as a visitor or for planned outpatient care, it is important that you wear a face covering at all times, unless you are exempt under current government guidelines. This is for your safety and the safety of other patients and staff.

Face coverings can be cloth and/or homemade, and advice on how to wear and make one can be found on the government website. Face coverings worn as part of religious beliefs or cultural practice are also acceptable, providing they are not loose and cover the mouth and nose.

We are asking that you please plan in advance and bring a face covering with you whenever possible, but if you do not have one available when you come to hospital, we will provide you with a face mask from a designated face mask station.

Visitors entering clinical areas should continue to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate to that clinical area and will be advised by staff.

Please remember that face masks and face coverings are only effective if you use them correctly, and in combination with social distancing and other measures, such as:

• Good hand hygiene
• Avoid touching your face
• Catch it, bin it, kill it (respiratory hygiene)
• Regular cleaning of surfaces

We understand many visitors and outpatients may be anxious about coming to hospital. Please be reassured that we have additional hand gel dispensers placed around each site, and would advise against the wearing of gloves to prevent any potential spread of germs. Thank you for your co-operation.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) risk assessment

The Health and Safety Department has worked with the Trust Oversight Groups for COVID-19 response to produce a risk assessment which addresses how Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will restrict the transmission of the coronavirus in the workplace for the protection of our staff, patients and visitors. Fundamentally, this has involved planning how work can continue at the hospital whilst following the government guidance on social distancing.

The Trust is required to publish its findings as per the Government Guidance ‘Working Safety during COVID-19’. Should you have any queries about this document or health and safety arrangement at any of our hospitals, please call 0151 529 6597 or email: HealthandSafety@liverpoolft.nhs.uk. 

Supporting patients and families

Our staff are here to support families to keep in touch with their loved ones while they are in hospital. Click here to find out more.

General advice

The latest national guidance from on symptoms and what to do is:

If you have a

• new continuous cough
• high temperature
• loss of sense of taste and / or smell.

Stay at home and read the full guidance here. 

How to keep yourselves, your family and friends safe:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

Official information sources

If you are concerned about Coronavirus (COVID-19) there is lots of official information online from the NHS and Public Health England. Please refer to the list of official resources below for the latest guidance and advice.

Liverpool City Council, local NHS organisations, and Public Health England are also providing the latest local updates and advice.

NHS 111: https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19

NHS website: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

Public Health England: gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

World Health Organisation: who.int/health-topics/coronavirus