There’s some welcome news this week if you’re a parent or carer and have a child in the Walsall Manor Hospital in either the children’s ward (Ward 21) or the Neonatal unit.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has confirmed that the rules have changed regarding staying with a child. Previously, just one parent or carer can stay with a child. However, you will now be able to swap with one other parent/carer from the same household to share the responsibility.
There is a caveat. The parent/carer must have take a daily Covid test (Lateral Flow) and produce a negative result. The test can be taken directly at the testing bus at Walsall Manor Hospital which is on site from 10.30am until 5pm daily.
Matron Tania Bruce said: “We are working hard to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection and keep the children’s ward and Neonatal Unit – as well as the hospital – as safe as possible for everyone who uses our services and the staff who work here.
“Resident parents/carers are tested upon their child’s admission and we are working with the Patient Experience Team to support the “swapping” parent/carer to be tested upon arrival at hospital.
“We recognise that having a poorly child or a baby who needs specialist, neonatal care, places a lot of pressure on families, particularly where there are other children who need care and support and we are trying to ease the situation as much as possible while prioritising the necessary measures that we all need to take during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’d like to thank our parents/carers for their understanding at this time.”
Andrew Rice, Patient Experience Manager added: “We have recently introduced Carers Passports and each resident parent/carer will be given one of these when their child is admitted.
“We will support “swapping” parents/carers at our Welcome Hub in the main atrium of the hospital which operates between 8am and 7pm each day, including weekends.”