Will the Minister advise when she expects the restrictions on hospital visiting due to COVID to be lifted?
The Hospital Visiting Guidance provides a baseline for visiting in Wales during the pandemic. The Guidance is clear that it cannot foresee all requests for visiting and contains an exceptionality provision to allow requests for visiting that are outside the categories listed in the Guidance to be considered taking into account individual circumstances, but still following local risk assessment processes.
The accompanying Supplementary Statement allows providers to depart from the Guidance in response to rising or falling levels of coronavirus transmission. This inherent flexibility allows health boards and trusts to adapt visiting restrictions taking into account, for example, local transmission rates, outbreak status in individual settings and vulnerability of patient cohort. It reinforces the principle of local decision making based on local conditions. Staff should treat all requests from visitors with compassion and empathy whilst ensuring the patient’s best interests are met.
The Hospital Visiting Guidance is kept under continual review by the Hospital Visiting Guidance Working Group. The Group consists of Welsh Government officials and representatives from all health boards and trusts, including infection prevention and control representatives from Public Health Wales.
The Group meets virtually on a regular basis and due to the Covid Omicron variant, is currently meeting fortnightly. The last meeting was held on 15 February at which it was agreed the current Guidance and Supplementary Statement remain fit for purpose. It was acknowledged the Guidance allows for relaxation of the visiting restrictions where this can be done safely and health boards and trusts take that into consideration when conducting regular reviews of local visiting policy.
The Welsh Government recognises that restrictions on visiting can impact adversely on patients and their loved ones and staff. The health, safety and wellbeing of patients, communities and health care provider staff remains an absolute priority. Of course, virtual visiting in healthcare settings continues to be encouraged and supported where possible.