Coronavirus Information

This page was last updated on Monday 30 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.

Appointments at RJAH

As the Chief Medical Officer has stated, NHS services are likely to come under intense pressure as coronavirus spreads, and we need to ensure we have as many beds available as possible to care for patients with severe respiratory problems as the infection peaks.

Therefore, in line with well-established plans for situations like this, every hospital in England has been asked to suspend all non-urgent elective operations from 15 April for at least three months, with some other procedures likely to be rescheduled before then so we can train our staff and adapt certain areas.

We will be stopping all non-emergency elective appointments with effect from Friday 20 March.

Urgent and emergency cases, such as spinal surgery and cancer treatments, will be carrying on as normal but we know many people waiting for treatment will be disappointed or worried, and we will be contacting everyone affected as soon as possible.

For information on visiting patients, please click here.

For information on Outpatient appointments, please click here.

Information around COVID-19

If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus, including a new continious cough or a high temperature (37.8 degrees and above), you are advised to stay at home for 7 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 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they are at home for longer than 14 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 of suspected cases is carried out in line with strict guidelines. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas including GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals and returned home in isolation. Any equipment that comes into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority.

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.

More information can be found on the NHS website here.