COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Our Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 vaccinations
Face coverings
Visiting restictions
Patient belongings
The Anne Robson Trust helpline
Parking
Emergency and urgent care
COVID-19 and your information

Our Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 Vaccination

For information on the COVID-19 vaccine, please click here.

How we are changing the delivery of care at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic

We are restarting routine (elective) care and treatment here at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn following extensive planning to make it as safe as possible for patients and staff.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, QEH continued to provide all emergency and urgent care to all patients that needed it and routine clinics were switched to video or phone consultations where possible. This allowed the Trust to continue with the most urgent face-to-face clinics, procedures and operations throughout the crisis.

We are phasing in the return of all of our routine (elective) work following extensive planning to make it as safe as possible for patients and staff.

Please wear a face covering or mask if you are coming into the hospital

As routine elective activity returns to the QEH, extra safety measures have been put in place to protect patients and staff. This means that all patients coming onto site will need to bring and wear a face covering. This can be a cloth face mask or scarf and QEH staff will also be wearing facemasks while on site.

Hand sanitising stations at each entrance – ensuring you can clean your hands on arrival and when leaving the site and floor stickers have been laid throughout the main hospital corridors making it easier for everyone to socially distance.
Our routine (elective) care and treatment will be resuming at around 50% of capacity compared to normal, in line with national guidance and other NHS Trusts. This is to help ensure that extra cleaning can take place in-between patients and allow social distancing rules to be adhered to. Virtual and telephone consultations will continue for many patients where appropriate.

Visiting restrictions

If you are self-isolating

You should not attend (as a visitor or patient) if you should be self-isolating because you, or somebody close to you, has, or has had, symptoms of COVID-19 such as a high temperature, new, continuous cough, or loss or change to their sense of smell or taste). We are not accepting visitors who have tested positive for COVID-19 and should be isolating for the required time frame.

Inpatient restrictions

From Friday 3 September 2021 inpatient visits will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances.

The exceptions apply to visitors accompanying a child or vulnerable patient with learning disabilities or additional needs, such as autism or dementia. In these cases one visitor will be permitted per visit. Further special arrangements may also be made for patients who are critically ill or receiving end-of-life care. These will be arranged on a case-by-case basis with patients and relatives.

Where relatives are unable to visit in-person, the Trust continues to facilitate virtual visits, including via phone, video calls, and messages.

Outpatient restrictions

Patients should attend alone, including to the Emergency Department. Exemptions are outlined below.

These measures will help keep our patients, their families and our staff safe.

Maternity

One person can attend the Maternity Unit with their pregnant partner in the following circumstances;

One partner can attend maternity appointments, including: growth scans and any Day Assessment Unit or clinic appointments
During the labour and birth of their baby (which includes induction of labour)
On the Antenatal Ward if you are admitted and also on the Postnatal Ward following the birth of your baby, between the hours of 8.30am and 8.30pm
We will make all reasonable adjustments for anyone with additional needs and ask that you speak to your Midwife about any concerns you have in the first instance

NICU

There is unrestricted access for both parents to attend NICU and be with their baby at any time. The NICU team manages this. Our NICU team ask for both parents to undertake Lateral Flow Tests at home and show the team their result on arrival.

Children’s wards

A patient/carer can stay with a child who is on our Children’s Ward

Outpatient appointments

One person can accompany children or adult patients who are considered vulnerable (including those with learning disabilities, autism or dementia) to outpatient appointments
One person can accompany a patient attending a cancer diagnostic appointment

End of Life Care

One person can visit a patient receiving end-of-life care. We’re asking that this is the same person in any 24-hour period, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please speak to the Ward team to discuss any special arrangements that need to be made.

Patient belongings

Patient belongings information can be found here.

The Anne Robson Trust helpline

The Anne Robson Trust has launched its new telephone helpline service. The main purpose of the helpline is to provide support to anyone who is struggling with the imminent death of someone they care about, by offering someone for them to talk to.

Losing someone close can affect us in many different ways, but many of the physical and emotional impacts often come before the loss of life itself. It can be so hard to talk about all of the emotions we may experience during the time it takes for a loved one to die.

If you or someone close to you is dying, you can talk to the team.

The helpline telephone number is 0808 801 0688 and lines are open Monday to Friday 12.00pm - 6.00pm

Parking

Parking information can be found here.

Emergency and urgent care

Our Emergency Department is for patients with urgent and immediately life-threatening conditions. This is even more important during this current situation. Please consider visiting the NHS 111 website or calling their phoneline, contacting your GP surgery or pharmacist, and self-care unless your condition is a suspected emergency.

Patients attending our Emergency Department or Acute Assessment areas must attend alone unless they are a child or a vulnerable patient with learning disabilities, autism, dementia or receiving end-of-life care.

COVID-19 and your information

In order to look after your health and care needs we may share your confidential patient information including health hand care records. Further information can be found here.