Outpatients at Peterborough City Hospital should attend as normal says North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

The trust that runs Peterborough City Hospital and Stamford Hospital says patients should continue to attend appointments unless they are told otherwise.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation that the NHS was still open for business during Saturday’s national lockdown announcement and this was echoed in a statement issued this week by North West Anglia NHS Trust.

The trust’s chief operating officer Graham Wilde said there had been a “sharp increase in the number of patients with Covid-19 presenting at our hospitals in the last fortnight”.

Speaking yesterday (Wednesday), he said: “Our staff are currently caring for 51 Covid-19 patients across Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals. However, at present we aren’t experiencing any operational issues that are causing us concern.

“We have robust plans in place across our hospital sites to ensure that we are able to cope with the increased pressures that the second peak and winter season will inevitably bring.

“This includes increasing staffing levels, where appropriate, and working with community and social care to ensure we can help to get patients home safely and efficiently.

“Patients are encouraged to attend their outpatient appointments as usual unless they are contacted by us to rearrange.

“To help us reduce the spread of infection, we ask that they wear a face mask or covering at all times when in the hospital, unless exempt, and practise thorough hand washing or sanitise upon entering and leaving the site.

“ Last week we made the difficult decision to reintroduce tighter visiting restrictions to ensure we are limiting the footfall through our hospitals and helping to prevent the spread of infection. Relatives can use our ‘letters to a loved one’ service to send personal messages to inpatients, as well as keep in touch via video calls. All of the latest information regarding visiting restrictions for our trust can be found on our website.

“Anyone needing urgent medical advice can contact NHS 111 24/7 online or by phone to make sure they are directed to the most appropriate service.”