Although Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted across the country, our safety measures will remain in place for now - here is what you need to know
This means that patients and visitors will still be asked to;
- Wear face coverings
- Maintain social distancing
- Maintain good hand hygiene
- Undertake asymptomatic testing when required
There will also still be limited access permitted within the hospital for visiting and appointments - full details below and within the additional tabs on this page.
As Covid-19 is still prevalent, particularly in the local region, we are continuing with our measures to protect our women, babies, families and staff.
Please keep visiting our Covid-19 Information Hub here which details all of the current measures in place. This page will also be updated if and when there are any changes to announce, in line with national NHS guidance.
When attending Liverpool Women’s please be kind and respect our staff who greet you - we are here to keep you safe and we kindly request your support to help us do this.
Thank you for your ongoing support and co-operation.
Attending for an appointment
When attending for an appointment access into the hospital will not be allowed until 10 minutes prior to your appointment time.
Unless you are advised otherwise, your existing appointments will be going ahead as normal. If there is any change to this the Trust will contact you in advance to let you know.
- Community Midwifery: clinics are still running, however patients are advised not to bring any family members with you to the GP Surgery, Children’s Centre or Hospital during this time.
- Gynaecology Emergency Department (GED): Telephone triage line introduced for Gynaecology Emergency Department - call 0151 702 4140
If you have an acute gynaecological or early pregnancy problem, call 0151 702 4140 to speak to a member of our nursing team. The nurse will assess your problem and where appropriate will arrange for you to either be seen immediately in the Emergency Department, to receive a call back from a doctor or nurse practitioner or arrange for you to attend a see and treat appointment in our Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit.
Occasionally, there are long waiting times to speak to a member of the nursing team. We apologise for this and are working to improve the service. If your symptoms are not severe, please keep trying.
If you are unable to access the service, particularly if you have severe pain or heavy bleeding, please attend Liverpool Women’s and you will be directed to the GED.
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Gynaecology Elective Activity: From the 1st June Liverpool Women’s Gynaecology started to recommence some of it’s elective activity. This will be a phased approach with patient attendance/ appointment numbers restricted to ensure social distancing measures and other safety measures in relation to Covid-19 are adhered to within the hospital. The hospital will contact you in advance of your outpatient or inpatient appointments being scheduled as part of this phased re-opening of our elective services.
- Oncology: Our cancer clinics and surgery will continue to run and there are no plans at present to step down or suspend these services. Every measure is being taken to ensure that critical cancer care continues to be delivered in the safest and most efficient way to protect our patients and our staff during this difficult time.
- We will be conducting follow-up clinics via telephone or virtually wherever possible.
- Necessary face-to-face appointments will be structured into a one-stop model as far as possible, to minimise time spent on the hospital site.
- Cancer surgery lists may change at short notice due to the pressures arising from COVID-19. Our appointments team will be in contact should this affect you.
If you were due to attend for a cancer appointment, you will be contacted directly with further details of what this means for you.
If you are due to attend for an appointment or for surgery, our team will contact you the day before your appointment for COVID-19 screening. If you have symptoms, or are self-isolating as a member of your household has symptoms, then we will reschedule your appointment for when you are well again and able to attend hospital. This is to ensure your safety and wellbeing, as well as that of our staff and other patients.
- Termination of Pregnancy: The Bedford Centre is currently running a primarily telephone-based service. If a scan or a face-to-face appointment is required, this will be advised in your telephone consultation.
If it is determined that you need to attend in person, then unless you are under 16 or need a carer unfortunately your support person will need to wait outside the hospital building. This is to minimise the number of people coming in and out of the building.
The primary option offered for termination of pregnancy will be outpatient medical management. What this means for you will be discussed in your telephone consultation.
To make an appointment, please contact the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) on 03457 30 40 30.
- The Liverpool Centre for Genomic Medicine: The Liverpool Centre for Genomic Medicine is working hard to ensure that for all patients, that it is appropriate for, we offer a telephone or virtual clinic appointment during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, many of our patients will need to be seen in person and those patients will receive a letter to let them know that their appointment will be arranged once we are able to offer face to face appointments again.
Lateral Flow Testing
We are still asking all pregnant women, their nominated supporter/partner and other visitors to the hospital to undertake twice weekly lateral flow tests at home. When you attend for any appointment, you will be asked a number of screening questions about symptoms of COVID-19 at the main entrance to the hospital and you will also asked to show evidence of your latest negative LFT result (text or email) when you are reviewed by your Midwife or Consultant at your scheduled appointment. This will allow us to record your results on our computer system accordingly.
Lateral Flow Tests can be obtained freely. Please follow link below to show where your nearest location to collect the test pack: https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk
Lateral flow tests are quick and simple to complete. The test strip is very similar to a pregnancy test and provides a result within 30 minutes. Each test pack comes with a set of instructions. Once you have the result, you will need to register it immediately with the Government results service. You will need to have the serial number which is written on the test strip to register the result. This can be accessed online: www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
This will then generate an email and text message which provides a copy of your result that you can show when attending for appointments. Please contact your midwifery team if you do not have access to technology to enable you to register your results.
“We would like to thank all of our families for their patience while the restrictions have been in place, and for their cooperation with the new lateral flow testing process. Ensuring the guidelines are followed will help us all keep mothers, supporters, babies and staff as safe as possible.”
Covid-19 swab tests on admission
On admission you will be expected to have a COVID swab as part of your admission process when you come into Liverpool Women’s Hospital and it is important that you accept it. The reason for this is that we need to conduct our own Covid-19 tests when you come into the hospital so we can be clear about the exact time and date of when you have had your test for the safety of you, other women, support partners and our staff.
- All women requiring admission into hospital are offered to be screened for Covid-19. This is strongly advised by the Trust not only for everyone’s safety but also in order to avoid additional measures being required for access to certain areas of the hospital.
- If a woman declines screening, despite a discussion regarding the requirements and benefits for screening, she must be advised that if her baby requires admission to the Neonatal Unit she will be required to wear PPE at all times when attending the unit.
- All birth/ support partners are now required to accept a Covid-19 swab in order to be able to accompany their partner throughout labour / birth and the immediate period after birth.
- If you are a birth/ support partner and refuse to accept a Covid-19 swab without any justifiable reason, you will only be permitted to support your partner during established labour (this excludes induction of labour) and you will also be asked to leave the hospital shortly after the baby’s birth. In addition, you will be required to wear PPE at all times including a face mask, apron and gloves.
- If you have any reason or underlying condition that makes you exempt from receiving a swab, please inform us prior to coming into the hospital so we can make any necessary arrangements.
General information about accessing the hospital
- When entering the hospital you will have your temperature checked and you will be asked some questions about any Covid-19 related symptoms.
- You will be expected to wear a face covering. If you do not have a face covering of your own you will be given a face mask.
- Unless you are given special permission you must not leave and re-enter the building once inside - you will be expected to stay inside the building until you are ready to leave following your appointment or procedure. Leaving and re-entering the building for non-essential reasons (e.g. to collect takeaway food deliveries) will not be allowed.
- Follow the directional signage in the hospital to maintain social distancing at all times and avoid standing in high footfall areas such as corridors.
- Please maintain good hand hygiene at all times by washing your hands regularly and making use of hand sanitisers when entering and leaving each area of the hospital.
- We ask you to respect staff that you come into contact with and understand that aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
- The hospital shop and Costa Coffee are available for patients and visitors along with vending machines however the Just Deli restaurant is currently restricted for staff use only.
- When you leave the hospital please dispose of your face mask in the clinical waste stations and remember to sanitise your hands.
- If you are feeling unwell at any time when you are within the hospital with Covid-19 symptoms, please speak to a member of staff straight away.
Wearing of face coverings in clinical settings
- For women attending antenatal scans (12 week, 20 week, and FMU scans) with their support partner, you will both be expected to wear a face covering. Women or support partners who have an underlying health issue that prevents them from being able to wear a face covering should make our sonography team aware before coming to the hospital for your scan appointment – please refer to the contact details on your appointment letter. This will allow any necessary arrangements to be made to protect you and our staff in advance. Please note if there is no justifiable reason for not wearing a face covering or if you have not made the sonography team aware in advance that you are exempt, support partners will not be allowed to enter the scanning room.
- Women and support partners are expected to wear face coverings at all times when in communal areas of the hospital. Face coverings should fully cover your nose and mouth and only be removed if advised by a member of staff or when eating or drinking.
- All birthing rooms are individual rooms and birth partners must wear a face covering when any members of staff are present in the birthing room. Birth partners may remove their face covering if they wish to do so only when they and their partner are alone in the room.
- If a woman requires a procedure in theatre, birth partners must wear a fluid resistant surgical mask provided by the hospital at all times on route to theatre, within the theatre complex and the recovery area.
- Women who are admitted to the induction suite and their birth partners must wear a face covering when any members of staff are present at the bedside or anyone is within a 2 metre distance when caring for you.
- You can wear your own face covering or if you do not have one you will be provided with a face mask on entry to the hospital.
- If you have any reason or underlying condition that makes you exempt from wearing a face covering, please inform us prior to coming into the hospital so we can make any necessary arrangements, such as alternative PPE. Please contact the relevant department you are attending in advance and they can make the necessary arrangements for you.
- If you are a support partner accompanying a women who is in the hospital to have their baby and you refuse to wear a face covering for any reason other than a health condition, you will only be permitted to support your partner once established labour is confirmed (this excludes induction of labour) and you will also be asked to leave the hospital shortly after the baby’s birth.
We ask for everyone’s compliance with these measures to keep our women, newborn babies, families and staff safe and to protect us all from Covid-19.
Thank you for your support and co-operation.
Face coverings in communal areas of the hospital
- All patients and visitors should be wearing a face covering when entering the hospital.
- The requirement to wear face coverings is being introduced to protect patients, visitors and staff across the hospital site.
- Examples of locations where you should be wearing face coverings include reception and waiting areas, corridors, toilets, when queueing in the hospital cafes, and in the hospital shop.
- Patients will be advised by staff in individual clinical areas about whether or not they will need to wear a mask during clinical procedures or other appointments. Please keep your mask on unless advised otherwise by a member of staff.
- Face coverings should either be disposable after use or washed within 24 hours if they are re-usable.
- There will be a disposal station located near the main entrance of the Trust for safe disposal of masks when you are leaving the hospital.
- You will now find clear floor and wall signage across the hospital for wayfinding and directions. Please keep to the left when walking along hospital corridors and maintain social distancing (2 metre distance) at all times from other patients, visitors and staff.
- There will be an increased supply of hand sanitisers for use before and after removal of masks and face coverings. Please also make use of hand sanitisers across the hospital site when entering and leaving all areas.
- Staff will be on-hand to provide advice and support at main entrance areas.
Other supporting information
Advice for when leaving the hospital
Guidance for people at highest clinical risk
NHS England will no longer be hosting Frequently Asked Questions for people at highest clinical risk from Covid-19.
This is to help ensure that people are always clear where to go for the latest information, as the Government updates its policies. For the latest guidance please visit the following sources:
GOV.UK – for the latest updates on shielding guidance from Public Health England, as well as information on the Government support offer for those on the Shielded Patients List (SPL).
NHS.UK – provides patient-facing information on health services and medical conditions.
NHS Digital – for detailed information about the Shielded Patient List and the method that has been used for identifying people who may be clinically extremely vulnerable to Coronavirus.
NHS Volunteer Responders - the NHS is also providing further support to those at highest clinical risk via the GoodSam App and NHS Volunteer Responders.
People who are shielding can request support from the NHS Volunteer Responders by calling 0808 196 3646 between 8am and 8pm. This service will not replace any local voluntary referral schemes already established but will complement these.
01 June 20
Leaflets
For patients with rare diseases there is some excellent information leaflets available from the charity Unique: https://www.rarechromo.org/ and from the British Society of Genomic Medicine:
Advice for women during pregnancy: https://www.rcog.org.uk/coronavirus-pregnancy
- Coronavirus: Planning your birth
- Coronavirus: Parent information for new born babies
- Coronavirus: Looking after yourself and your baby in pregnancy
- Available to download here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/maternity-leaflets-translated-versions/
BSL
Sign Health have created a web page with the daily COVID-19 updates from the Government in BSL. Click here to view.
BSL Health Access enables the provision of immediate, on demand access to British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for communication with Deaf people in health settings free of charge during the current Coronavirus situation. You can access it by clicking here.
Covid-19 information videos in 11 languages
Click here for information videos in 11 different languages on essential advice, hand washing and spotting the signs of Covid-19.
Other support
ADDvanced Solutions Community Network have a new, online offer to support children, young people, families and professionals in the Liverpool area. Click here to find out more.
Keeping you save in our Hospital
Please download our leaflet on 'Keeping you safe in our hospital' for further details.
Birth Registrations
The Register Office at St George’s Hall reopened for the registration of births on Thursday, 11th June. Liverpool City Council have advised us they have over 2000 babies waiting to be registered, therefore they are taking a staged approach, based on the babies dates of birth, so that they register oldest babies first. At present they are unable to predict how long it will take them to work through this backlog.
Please keep checking Liverpool City Council website for the most up to date information.
Unfortunately, until the backlog is addressed, on-site registry remains unavailable.
Separate arrangements are being made with our Honeysuckle families.
