Covid: Hertfordshire hospitals restrict visitors amid case rise

Visits have been suspended at Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead hospitals

A hospitals trust has suspended visits due to "the increasing prevalence of Covid-19 in the local community".

From New Year's Day, the West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust will only permit visitors to patients in the last days of life, and in other limited circumstances at its sites.

The move affects Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead hospitals.

The trust said it would "monitor the situation carefully".

It added it would review the decision in two weeks with a view to reinstating visits.

Cases increase

The "exceptional circumstances" under which visits would be allowed included patients in the Intensive Care Unit and parents visiting children.

The changes would also not apply for patients with, for example, a mental health issue, dementia, a learning disability or autism, who could be distressed by not having a family member present.

Visiting arrangements for maternity services at the hospitals would not be affected, the Trust said.

According to the latest figures, in the week to 26 December, there were 1,563 cases in Watford, an increase of 310 compared to the previous seven days.

In St Albans, there were 2,529 cases, up 144, and Hemel Hempstead had 2,616 cases, up 608 on the previous week.

The Trust's chief nurse Tracey Carter said: "We recognise how important visiting is for patients and their families.

"However, the increase in cases locally does now pose a greater risk and we feel that it is necessary to restrict visiting to keep our patients and staff as safe as possible.

"We hope to be able to ease these restrictions as soon as we can do this safely."