Visitors are set to return to hospitals in the Illawarra on compassionate grounds, including to see a loved one at the end of their life, under new NSW Health guidelines announced today.
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Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) said it was reviewing the new guidelines surrounding hospital visitations and will soon provide an update on what it means to hospitals in the area.
It comes eight weeks after Illawarra Shoalhaven public hospitals banned visitors in response to rising COVID case numbers brought on by the Omicron strain of the virus.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet today announced the easing of restrictions surrounding visitors to NSW public hospitals, which were outlined in the NSW Health guide to hospital visitation.
NSW Health said it would continue to focus on providing a safe health service for patients, their families and carers, and staff, "while we provide kind and compassionate care".
"As NSW residents continue to strongly support the COVID vaccination program and as we start to see the number of COVID-19 cases in our community decline, we are making changes to increase visitor access to our hospitals," NSW Health said.
"Dependent upon local conditions, such as a local high risk of COVID-19 transmission, hospitals may need to risk-assess visitation and implement further safety measures to manage the risk of patients and staff contracting or transmitting COVID-19.
"However, in such instances, hospitals must apply as far as practicable care and compassion, and allow visitors."
NSW Health said that on the basis of compassionate care, people would be allowed to visit a patient if:
- the patient is at end-of-life
- the patient is ill with a life-threatening condition or diagnosis
- it is beneficial for the patient's emotional or physical well-being, including for women who are giving birth
- the patient has a mental illness, and you are their designated carer/principal care provider, as determined under the Mental Health Act
- the patient is living with dementia or a cognitive impairment and you are their person responsible or person to contact
- you are required to provide an informal language service
- you are a carer of a patient with a disability
- you are accompanying someone to the emergency department or outpatient clinic
- you are supporting the patient's care upon leaving hospital
- the patient is under 16 and you are the patient's parent or guardian.
NSW Health said that in order to "further limit risk of COVID transmission in some situations", hospitals might continue to have limits on the number of visitors at the bedside at any given time. A request to visit a person in hospital who has COVID would also need to be "clinically assessed and some restrictions may apply".
"All visitors will be screened on entry and must agree to wear a mask and other personal protective equipment as necessary and follow the advice of healthcare staff at all times," NSW Health said.
Visitors will only be able to gain entry to a NSW public hospital if they:
- have had two doses of a recognised vaccine (unless they have a medical exemption)
- have not tested positive to COVID-19 within the past seven days
- are not a high-risk contact of someone who has COVID-19 in the previous 14 days
- do not have COVID-19 symptoms
- have not arrived from overseas in the past seven days
- are under 12 years of age who have had at least one dose of vaccine.
Some discretion may be used in certain situations.
Details: To view the full NSW Health guide to hospital visitation click here.
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Merryn Porter
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
