Skip to content

Covid: Ipswich and Colchester hospitals restrict visitors

Getty Images Patients holding hands at hospital bedsideGetty Images
Patients can keep in touch with a nominated friend or relative via the ward telephone, the trust said

Visits are being restricted at all hospitals run by a trust in Essex and Suffolk, following an increase in Covid-19 infections.

Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, and community hospitals, under East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust will not permit visitors from Saturday.

Exemptions apply, including for end-of-life care and parents of children.

The Trust's chief nurse Giles Thorpe described it as "a very tough decision".

"We have been keeping a close eye on community Covid-19 infection rates and the number of people in our hospitals with the virus and this is action we really need to take now," he added.

"One of the ways we can keep our staff and patients safe is to reduce the footfall on our sites."

He said the policy would be kept under review to allow visiting to be reintroduced as quickly and safely as possible.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The moves affects smaller sites at Clacton, Aldeburgh, Felixstowe and the Fryatt Hospital in Harwich and Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich.

One family member or friend could be nominated to be a contact via the ward phone, the Trust added, and the Letters to Loved Ones email service was also available.

There would be no change for maternity units and carers for patients with, for example, learning disabilities and dementia, the Trust said.

presentational grey line

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]