Infection Prevention and Control

Illustration of a male nurse We take infection prevention and control very seriously. Everyone works hard to ensure that our patients, families, visitors and staff are protected from healthcare-associated infections.

We have consistently low infection rates and are very proud of our excellent reputation for infection prevention and control.

What to do when you visit us (physical distancing, hygiene)

Please follow national guidelines and wear a face covering when visiting us. You can find information and guides to make your own at home here. We will also have several face coverings available and specially designed coverings from our Charity can be purchased either at our hospitals or online. Please also see this mask advice infographic from Birmingham Health Partners.

Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly when you arrive on site.

We’re making changes to how you travel around our sites. Please follow directions to your destination and signage to support physical distancing.

Metres matter – try to maintain two metres from other people whenever possible. If you can’t, keep as much space between you and the other person as you can.

Regular COVID-19 lateral flow tests are another vital way to keep you, your baby, your family and our staff safe. These tests are important even if you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19. It is currently expected that a low number of people will have a positive result without having symptoms of COVID-19 (about 1%-2%).

Keep two metres apart animation

Support regarding special circumstances

  • Those who are exempt from wearing face masks can print the government cards to show this to staff or other patients
  • If you or the patient you are supporting has Learning disabilities, visual or hearing impairment or autism/anxiety – please let us know in advance and we will try to support you.
  • The LiveTranscribe App can be useful to download if you usually lip-read – it allows live transcribing on your smartphone screen, and many of our staff have downloaded it too.
  • We have ‘Dora’ Electronic Interpreter devices and in-house Interpreters to interpret for you and your carer at our hospital sites.

Remember to check the latest update on visiting restrictions. These may differ between healthcare settings and hospitals to suit the patient type and help us ensure the recommended social distancing to keep you and our staff safe.