Coronavirus Information

This page was last updated on Monday 18 March.

The NHS in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.

Surgery at RJAH

We are now in a position to slowly start re-introducing elective surgery to our patients based on clinical need.

We will get in touch with any patients who are currently waiting so please do not contact us.

Visiting someone in hospital

Limited patient visiting has now resumed for some of our patients.

Limited patient visiting will resume for our longer stay patients on the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) and Sheldon Ward – with exception for shorter stay patient with exceptional needs, for example paediatric patients and those wanting to visit any patients on an end-of-life care pathway. Exceptional circumstances could also refer to people with a learning disability or dementia, where there may be increased distress. It could also mean that allowing a visitor may be of significant benefit to that patient.

Any other relatives who feel they have exceptional circumstances as to why they should be allowed to visit will need to discuss on a case-by-case basis with the nurse-in-charge.

Patients will be allowed one named visitor (or two on MCSI).

You can read more about this here.

Face coverings

People infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and can transmit the virus to others without being aware of it.

In line with recent recommendations from the World Health Organisation, we are introducing new measures at [trust name] to keep visitors, patients, and staff safe.

From Monday, 15 June 2020 you will need to wear a face covering when you come to hospital as a visitor or outpatient.

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. 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 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, please see a member of staff on arrival and we will provide you with one.

If you are currently shielding and have been provided with a surgical face mask for your appointments, please continue to use this. If you have not been provided with a surgical face mask, you should wear a face covering.

For some people, wearing a face covering may be difficult due to physical or mental health conditions. In these instances, other measures will be considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments and being seen immediately on arrival.

If you are a deaf or hearing impaired, our staff have a range of communication options to ensure that they can communicate effectively with you. This might include the use of clear masks where possible, as well as visual aids such as writing things down, speech to text apps and sign language.

All visitors will be expected to comply with existing social distancing and hand hygiene measures in addition to the face coverings while in the hospital setting.

Hydrotherapy Pool

The Therapeutic Pool - otherwise known as the Hydrotherapy Pool - has been closed since mid-March in response to the covid 19 pandemic. At this current time, we remain unable to open the pool to patients due to strict infection control and social distancing measures within the Trust.

Whilst the government have now issued guidelines for the opening of swimming pools, the pool here at RJAH is classified as a therapeutic pool. As such we will be following the guidelines written by the ATACP (Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Aquatic physiotherapy) in the first instance.

Initially, our aim is to open the therapeutic pool to patients who are currently undergoing treatment within the hospital. This patient group will mainly involve the patients on the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) and may also include paediatric patients as we begin to restore inpatient stays. Due to the vulnerability of these patients, we remain unable to open the pool to members of the public out of hours in order to ensure that the pool area remains safe for our patients.

We will keep the situation under review and will be in touch with members, when we are ready to reopen the pool to the public and the form in which this will take.

Information around COVID-19

If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus, including a new continious cough, a high temperature (37.8 degrees and above) or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste, you are advised to stay at home for 10 days.

Please do not book a GP appointment or visit your GP practice, a pharmacy or hospital.

If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.

If anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 10 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they are at home for longer than 10 days. The most up-to-date public guidance can be found online at: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Advice for staying at home can be found here.

If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do.

Only call 111 direct if you are advised to do so by the online service or you cannot access the online service. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

For the latest COVID-19 advice, please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via coughs and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.

Testing advice

Testing for coronavirus (Covid-19) has been expanded to everyone over the age of five with symptoms. People can ask for a test if they, or a member of their household, have the recent onset of any of the following symptoms:

a new continuous cough
a high temperature
a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

The test needs to be done in the first 8 days of having symptoms.

On days 1 to 7, you can get tested on site or at home. If you are ordering a home test kit on day 7, make sure to do it by 3pm.

On day 8, you'll need to go to a test site - it's too late to order a home test kit.

Members of the public (who are not essential workers) who have symptoms of coronavirus should use the national booking system by visiting www.nhs.uk/coronavirus. Those who do not have any access to the internet, or who have difficulty with the digital portals, are able to ring a new 119 service to book their test.

People experiencing any of the above symptoms and their household members should self-isolate immediately. If you need medical advice about your symptoms use NHS 111 online or call NHS 111.

More about testing can be found by clicking here.

Public Health England Advice

Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:

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.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.