Face coverings now compulsory at local hospitals in Enfield
From this week it is now compulsory for all patients and visitors to wear a face covering when visiting local hospitals, including the North Middlesex University Hospital, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust hospitals (Chase Farm Hospital and Barnet Hospital) and at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust sites.
Face coverings should be worn upon arrival and in waiting areas, including corridors, cafes and restaurants. Face coverings can be made of cloth and be reusable. If you don’t have one you can make one following this guidance from the Government.
Message from the North Mid about face coverings
From Monday 15 June all visitors to our hospitals must wear face coverings to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19. Starting Monday, patients and other visitors to our hospitals will be required to wear a face covering in all of our hospitals. This should be worn upon arrival and in waiting areas, including corridors, cafes and restaurants. Face coverings can be made of cloth and be reusable, in line with government guidance on the use of face coverings for public transport.
For visitors without a face covering, disposal surgical face masks will be provided. Wearing a face covering may be difficult for some people due to physical or mental health conditions. In these instances, other measures will be considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments and being seen immediately on arrival.
Visitors entering clinical areas in our hospital will be required to don a new mask, in line with the infection control requirements for that area. Our current visitor policy, which limits visiting to exceptional circumstances, remains in place. From the same date, all NHS staff, irrespective of role, will be required to wear a surgical face mask in our hospitals at all times when in places that don’t already require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes areas which are staff only, such as staff rooms, as well as public areas such as corridors and waiting areas, lifts, side rooms and other communal spaces such as cafes and restaurants.
Read more on the North Middlesex University Hospital website.
Message from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation trust about face coverings
If you are coming to hospital as a visitor or for planned outpatient care, it is important that you wear a face covering at all times. This is for your safety and the safety of other patients and staff. We all have a role to play in reducing the spread of coronavirus and keeping our hospitals safe. Face coverings can be cloth and/or homemade, and advice on how to wear and make one can be found on the government website. Face coverings worn as part of religious beliefs or cultural practice are also acceptable, providing they are not loose and cover the mouth and nose.
We are asking that you plan in advance and bring a face covering with you whenever possible, but if you do not have one available when you come to hospital, please see a member of staff on arrival and we will provide you with one. If you are currently shielding and have been provided with a surgical face mask for your appointments, please continue to use this. If you have not been provided with a surgical face mask, you should wear a face covering.
For some people, wearing a face covering may be difficult due to physical or mental health conditions. In these instances, other measures will be considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments and being seen immediately on arrival. If you are a deaf or hearing impaired, our staff have a range of communication options to ensure that they can communicate effectively with you. This might include the use of clear masks where possible, as well as visual aids such as writing things down, speech to text apps and sign language.
All visitors will be expected to comply with existing social distancing and hand hygiene measures in addition to the face coverings while in the hospital setting.
Read more on the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust website.
Message from Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust about face coverings
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are limiting visitors to our sites to protect our service users, their carers and our staff. Please check with the staff looking after your friend or relative first to discuss whether a visit is possible. If you do visit any of our sites to see a patient or for an appointment, you must wear a mask or face covering. Please do NOT visit the Trust under any circumstances if you are experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
Read more on the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust website.
