Patients attending Hereford County Hospital and other Wye Valley NHS Trust buildings are reminded that they must continue to wear face masks when on Trust premises.
Although national changes mean you don’t have to wear a face covering in public spaces from this Thursday, January 27, this does not cover NHS hospitals and clinics.
Last week the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, announced that from this Thursday, there will be no legal mandate to wear a face mask – although he suggested that they are worn in enclosed, crowded places, especially when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
He also announced the government had ended its guidance on working from home.
However, the wearing of facemasks continues in NHS premises and all patients, and the very limited number of visitors attending WVT buildings, will be required to wear a face mask unless they are medically exempt.
“We thank all our patients – both those who are on our wards and those who visit our clinics as out patients – for their understanding,” said Laura Weston, the Trust’s Infection Prevention lead.
“Omicron is very easily transmissible. We have a duty of care to all our patients, some of whom are very sick, and we need to do everything in our powers to protect them and keep them safe,” she added.
The Trust will have staff members at the entrance to its hospitals with face masks for patients/visitors to wear when they enter the premises.
