Breaking: Bantry General Hospital suspends visiting with immediate effect

BANTRY General Hospital has said this afternoon that ‘due to significant challenges, high volume of presentations to the hospital’s Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) and increased infection control measures’, it will be temporarily suspending hospital visiting, effective immediately.

‘This does not affect St Joseph’s Residential Unit, which is located on the hospital grounds.,’ a statement added.

It continued to say that the situation will be reviewed on an on-going basis and any changes will be advised.

Visiting is restricted to the following:

Visiting Restrictions to all Wards/Depts.

Visiting will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances such as:

*            End Of Life Non-Covid-19 Patient - Only Two nominated Relatives only;

*            End Of Life Covid-19 Patient - Only One nominated relative utilising correct PPE/hand hygiene/IPC advice etc.;

*            Critically ill patient (Only Two nominated Relatives only);

*            One parent only will be allowed visit children in the Paediatric Unit at any time.

Children should not visit the hospital.

Hospital management have requested that, where appropriate, the public contact their GP in the first instance, and explore all other options available to them, including the Local Injury Unit (LIU), GP or Southdoc out of hours service in the first instance.

‘All appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients,’ it added.