VISITING to inpatient wards at Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer has resumed.
However, as have been in place now for a number of weeks, restrictions mean that each patient is limited to one named visitor during the course of their time in hospital.
With specific exemptions, inpatient visiting was suspended last Wednesday as work took place to investigate and address COVID-19 cases which had been confirmed recently in the west of the region.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway Medical Director Dr Kenneth Donaldson said: “We hope that everyone will understand and appreciate that the temporary suspension of inpatient visiting was introduced to help limit any spread of coronavirus and protect vulnerable patients.
“Our very effective Test and Protect team have been addressing and monitoring the situation, and we are now of the view that visiting can resume.
“However, we continue to ask anyone visiting hospital to follow NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s hand hygiene and hand washing advice, to don personal protective equipment as directed, and not to visit if experiencing symptoms of flu, COVID, or if feeling generally unwell.
“As is always the case, anyone experiencing any of the symptoms of coronavirus is asked to self-isolate and immediately seek testing.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 are:
Increased temperature
Continuous cough
Change to or loss of sense of taste and smell
Appointments via the mobile testing unit can be made at these centres each day from 9.30 am by logging on to the website: https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test
Anyone who does not have access to the internet is asked to phone NHS 24 on 111.
People who work in health or social care, the Emergency Services, or Dumfries and Galloway Council and have symptoms of coronavirus (even if mild) are asked to arrange for testing through NHS Dumfries and Galloway through the well established routes.
Dr Donaldson said: “We’d like to again thank everyone for their patience and understanding, and for their ongoing support as we work together to address the challenges resulting from COVID-19.”
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