It follows guidance from NHS England
Medical staff wearing face masks walk along a corridor at King’s College Hospital, in south east London.(Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
Patients and visitors to NHS hospitals in some parts of the UK are being urged to wear face masks in specified areas following a steep rise in winter illnesses.
Some hospitals in the West Midlands and in Wales have asked patients to wear masks in certain settings. It comes as cases of Covid have been rising in recent weeks.
Nearly 90 per cent of all Covid cases recorded in England are now linked to two new variants: NB.1.8.1 and XFG, nicknamed ‘Nimbus’ and ‘Stratus’, respectively.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency show that Covid cases jumped by 22 per cent in the week before September 24, climbing from 2,012 to 2,459, while hospital admissions have risen by 60 per cent in a month.
From Wednesday, October 8, two hospitals in the West Midlands are reintroducing compulsory masks in certain departments in response to a growing number of Covid-19 cases.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust said the measure would apply to parts of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
Face masks will be provided to visitors at both sites and the trust has asked people not to visit if they are suffering from any infection, such as a cold, flu, sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting or a chest infection.
The trust said it was taking the precautions after receiving advice from NHS England.
The areas where face masks must be worn at all times are:
- Emergency Department
- Same Day Emergency Care, Acute Medical Unit, Acute Medical Assessment area
- Surgical Assessment Unit
- Children’s Assessment Unit and Ward 19
- Ward 24 and Ward 17 Respiratory
- Cancer wards, including: Ward 23 Oncology/Haematology, Chemo Day Centre, Lingen Davies, Haematology clinics and Paediatric Oncology/Haematology
- Ward 35 Nephrology
- Neonatal unit
The trust added that people who feel they are exempt must discuss this with a member of staff. It also said if people feel unwell, but have a hospital appointment, they should contact the relevant department for advice.
Asked whether the mask requirement would be rolled out to more trusts in other areas of the country, a spokesperson for NHS England told the Manchester Evening News: “It is up to individual trusts to decide on mask wearing.”
A Welsh health board has also issued new face mask rules for staff, patients and visitors across its hospital sites.
As reported by WalesOnline, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said all those attending its hospitals are now “required to wear fluid repellent face masks”.
In a post on its social media page on Tuesday, October 7, the health board – which manages healthcare across Newport, Caerphilly, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent – said masks have been introduced due to an increase of winter illnesses at their sites.
It said the mask rules apply for all those attending hospital sites, including wards, A&E, minor injury units and other clinical settings.
The post added: “Let’s work together to keep our communities safe this winter.”