Now whilst it’s too early to say if this is the start of a ‘second wave’ of cases, it’s worth a timely reminder of the responsibilities we all have to keep patients, staff and our local communities safe and protected. This is especially important right now – as the government takes further steps to ease the UK’s lockdown.

We are already seeing higher numbers of hospital admissions for ‘non-Covid’ reasons (348 of our 511 general beds are occupied today, the highest number since the end of March) and we want to make sure that we can look after people who need urgent care, for whatever reason, effectively and appropriately.

Your support is vital.

You can help your hospital by:

Not attending with COVID-19 symptoms:
A high temperature of 37.8 or above, new continuous cough or loss of smell and taste could indicate COVID. Isolate at home with any household members, get help on-line and arrange a test (https://bit.ly/3ifEmVF) Unless you have a life-threatening condition (see below) please don’t come to the hospital (or your GP surgery) where you’ll put others at risk

Using services properly:
The 999 service and attending the Emergency Department (A&E) should be for life-threatening and serious conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, head injuries and unconsciousness, severe breathing difficulties, choking and major blood loss*

Choosing wisely:
If you don’t need A&E* choose another option. Self-care and pharmacy advice , NHS 111, minor injury units and GPs can all help with other medical needs and there are phone appointments and e-consultations available (use on-line and phone advice for COVID-19 symptoms)

Not taking risks:
This weekend pubs and restaurants are re-opening and whilst we know people want to go and enjoy themselves, don’t put yourself and others at risk. We don’t want to see you in ED for drink related issues!

Following national guidance:
Wear a face covering when it’s recommended, maintain two metres of social distancing (unless one meter plus is permitted with other safety measures), wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitiser. Clean the things you touch often, including your phone case, light switches, ipads and tablets, door handles and steering wheels

Following the hospital’s guidance:
We’re doing everything we can to keep everyone safe. Wear a face covering when you come to hospital, follow our one-way systems, stay two metres apart from others and wash your hands or use hand sanitiser. We’re still limiting visiting except in compassionate circumstances (including end of life care) and you should attend out-patient appointments on your own (unless instructed otherwise).

All of these measures are designed to protect you and others from the continued spread of COVID-19 as the country adapts to its ‘new normal’.

We absolutely appreciate all the support we’ve had from local people since the end of March, when the COVID-19 incident was initially declared. Although the country is at a LEVEL 3 in terms of cases and numbers of deaths, the NHS is still operating at a LEVEL 4 in terms of incident management. You can make all the difference. With your help we can keep services running and we can look after people who really do need to be in our hospital for urgent care and treatment.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE TO HELP US – WHICH MEANS WE CAN STILL HELP YOU

* You’ll know how you feel and what decisions you should take for your own health concerns. If you are worried about the health of a baby, child or any person that is unable to explain their symptoms always seek appropriate advice immediately.