Should I attend my hospital appointment?

The Trust is reviewing outpatient appointments based on the specialty and urgency for the patient. Unless you are otherwise contacted please follow the following guidance:

• If you have any symptoms related to Covid-19, which are a high temperature or a new continuous cough, please do not attend. Please call the number on your appointment card or letter
• If your doctor has made any changes to your appointment you should have been contacted by the Trust
• If you have not been contacted by the Trust, please attend as normal

The NHS and Public Health England are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

The Chief Medical Officer has announced that the country is moving into the “delay” stage of the response to coronavirus from Friday 13 March 2020.

The new advice issued by the Chief Medical Officer is as follows:

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:

• A high temperature
• A new continuous cough

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact NHS111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• You feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
• Your condition gets worse
• Your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

Only call 111 if you cannot get help online. Stay At Home advice can be found here

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.

All the Government coronavirus information translated in to 34 languages is here.

Information for the deaf and hard of hearing is here.

More information can be found on the NHS website here.