Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates & Management

East Cheshire Hospice care for people with life-limiting illnesses so it is important in the current and everchanging Coronavirus situation that we take all reasonable steps to protect the wellbeing of those using our services, our staff and volunteers.

Status as on 27th March 2020

As of Monday 23rd March, East Cheshire Hospice is suspending its outpatients appointments and day hospice programmes and using telehealth procedures to look after its patients until further notice. Its Hospice @Home Service and inpatient wards are using extra screening questions to protect patients and staff. Families are being asked to limit visiting whenever possible to reduce the risk of cross-infection.

All volunteers except for reception volunteers have been asked not to report for duty following Government orders. Non-clinical staff have been set up with equipment to enable them to work from home.

With the cancellation of so many fundraising activities, the Hospice is experiencing financial challenges like many other charities, we thank our donors for their continued support during this exceptionally difficult time.

www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/nowmorethanever

Read about our operational response to the current guidance here

Status as on 13th March 2020

We request that all patients, relatives and visitors consider whether they could be a potential carrier of the Coronavirus and therefore pose a risk to others before visiting the Hospice, attending fundraising events or visiting our Hospice shops.

We are doing all we can at East Cheshire Hospice to protect our patients and staff from the spread of COVID – 19 Coronavirus.

It is therefore very important that:

You stay at home and self isolate without any testing for COVID 19, regardless of travel history or contact with confirmed cases, if you have:

A continuous new cough or A high temperature of 37.8 degrees centigrade or higher.

The safety of our patients is our top priority.

It is important that anyone accessing our services uses the hand gel/sanitiser provided and to cover any cough or sneezes with a tissue and dispose of in a covered bin.

If anyone is concerned about their potential exposure to the Coronavirus infection, they should contact 111 who will advise whether they meet the threshold for testing, in which case they should not attend the hospice until the results of this are known.

Useful Links:

For the latest information about the Coronavirus in the UK visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Advice for travellers: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/advice-for-travellers/

If you have either returned from or been in contact with someone who has travelled abroad within the past 14 days please use the link to the website below to access the latest advice and guidance in relation to Coronavirus, before visiting the Hospice or accessing our services.

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

General advice to protect yourself and others and reduce the spread of the virus is:

1. Wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, or after being in public areas where other people are doing so. Use hand sanitiser if that’s all you have access to.
2. To reduce the spread of germs when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your sleeve (not your hands) if you don’t have a tissue, and throw the tissue away immediately. Then wash your hands or use a hand sanitising gel.
3. Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people.

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