Visiting arrangements during COVID-19 pandemic

We have assessed the risks of the environment and regularly review our guidance to allow safe visiting between patients and visitors and ask all visitors to adhere to our current guidance, to ensure that everyone is kept safe.

Home test for Covid prior to visiting

If you are visiting one of our hospitals, you will be able to order a home testing kit online, visit www.nhsinform.scot or call 119. Please ensure that you follow the guidance below. Find out more about continued LFT testing for identified groups here.

Essential visiting

At times it may be necessary to restrict visiting for short periods of time for specific reasons. For example, if there is an outbreak of an infection such as COVID-19 in a ward it is normal practice to restrict visiting until the outbreak is under control. Even in these circumstances we would expect essential visits to be able to continue where required. Some examples of situations include, when someone is reaching the end of their life, if someone has dementia and needs family support, support for someone with a learning disability, a family member who has informal caring responsibilities, parents with a child in hospital and care relating to childbirth including both ante-natal and post-natal care. These examples are illustrative and are not an exhaustive list. Contact the ward and nurse in charge to discuss your personal circumstances.

Standard visiting

Owing to a substantial rise in the number of Covid cases in Scotland in recent weeks, visits to patients in our Fife hospitals will be limited to one visitor per day. This will be kept under regular review. 

To help us to manage the impact of the rising number of Covid cases, strict hygiene and distancing measures remain in place to help us minimise the risk to patients and healthcare staff. For this reason, all visitors should regularly apply hand sanitiser and must wear a fluid resistant surgical face mask when visiting. These masks are available free for your use at hospital entrances.

Young visitors

Unfortunately, due to current restrictions within the waiting areas, no children will be allowed to accompany parents at Antenatal Clinic / Day-care / Maternity Assessment appointments or within the Delivery suite areas.  

Parents own children (siblings of the newborn) will be welcome to visit within the maternity ward area, out with quiet time. 

Quiet Time

Quiet Time runs from 230pm until 430pm in our maternity wards. 

The two-hour period where lights are dimmed and noise is kept to a minimum. This helps in the developmental care of the newborn and allows mothers to rest. 

Only one birth partner will be able to stay during quiet time.  

Covid19 Testing

Visitors are also strongly urged to test for COVID-19 before attending and home test kits remain free-of-charge to those visiting hospitals. Information on how to order such kits is available at: www.nhsfife.org/testing.

All visiting arrangements continue to be kept under regular review in line with COVID-19 infection rates and hospital capacity, with a view to moving to full person-centred visiting when safe to do so.

Exceptions

There are a number of areas where visiting is considered to be essential and will continue to be permitted. Details can be found on the following links Maternity / End of Life Care /Mental Health/Learning Disabilities / Children’s Department. If in any doubt, visitors should contact us and discuss with nurse-in charge.

This position will be kept under regular review. 

Virtual visiting

Where in-person support is not possible, a patient can be supported by alternatives such as virtual visiting using tablets or mobiles.