I’m very pleased to let you know that today we’re easing visitor restrictions across Western Health’s sites, following updated guidelines from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer.
Effective immediately, the following visitor rules apply for inpatients:
- Maximum 5 visitors per patient, per day
- Maximum 2 visitors at a time
- No time limits on visits (during visiting hours 12pm-8pm)
Further details can be found in the updated Visitor QRG on our COVID microsite.
Please note that screening remains in place for all staff, patients and visitors who have recently been in NSW. Please refer to the bulletin below for full details.
As the situation continues to evolve in NSW, and with the risk of outbreaks in Victoria ongoing, I’d like to remind all staff to please continue to fill out the daily attestation before you attend work for every shift. This is a simple thing we are all required to do, and provides vital information for our colleagues in the Western Public Health Unit, should there be any need for contact tracing across our sites.
Please note that asymptomatic testing for Western staff is no longer available at Footscray Hospital and Williamstown Hospital, but continues to be available at Sunshine Hospital. The Sunshine COVID testing clinic is open every day, 10am-5.30pm.
Finally, we have also recently revised the Clinical Guidelines for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 to ensure we deliver Best Care to all our patients using the latest evidence. Refer to these guidelines and please send any feedback or queries to Dr James Molton at james.molton@wh.org.au
Thanks for keeping updated.
Natasha
Screening for staff, patients and visitors
STAFF
Staff who have been to:
- Greater Metropolitan Sydney or designated Red or Orange Zones since 11 June should not attend work, seek COVID testing and contact the staff enquiries service for a further individual risk assessment.
- Regional NSW but notin any designated red or orange zones since 11 June may continue to attend work, but should seek asymptomatic testing and contact the staff enquiries service on whscovid-19staffclinicenquiries@wh.org.au for a further individual risk assessment.
INPATIENTS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
Inpatients and patients attending the ED should be screened if they have been in NSW since 11 June. Patients who have been in Greater Metropolitan Sydney should be screened according to Red Zone rules (regular testing and 14 days isolation), while those who have been in Regional NSW should be screened as per Orange Zone rules (test and isolate until negative result received).
VISITORS/OUTPATIENTS
Visitors and outpatients must be screened if they have been in NSW since 11 June. Each case should be escalated to the de-isolation HMOs (call 8395 9048 or switch 8345 6666) to determine if the individual can enter our sites.