People entering South Tyneside and Sunderland’s hospitals now must wear a face mask
Staff, patients and visitors to hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland must wear face masks.
From Thursday, December 11, anyone entering hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland will be required to wear a face mask and urged to clean their hands.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has implemented the measure until the end of January due to rates of flu and other winter illnesses increasing.
It means that anyone entering the below sites will need to wear a face mask and wash their hands:
- Sunderland Royal Hospital.
- South Tyneside District Hospital.
- Sunderland Eye Infirmary.
- Durham Treatment Centre.
- St Benedict’s Hospice.
- Houghton Intermediate Care Assessment and Rehabilitation (ICAR).
- Palmer Community Hospital.
- Sunderland Children’s Centre.
The NHS Trust has also confirmed that community nursing teams who visit patients at home, in care homes and in other settings like schools, will also wear a face mask when carrying out their duties.
Dr Shaz Wahid, the Trust’s Medical Director, has explained by these steps are being taken now.
He said: “We are already seeing the impact of flu and other respiratory illnesses both on our staff and our patients.
“We are taking these steps now to do all we can to prevent the spread of infection this winter.
“People can often have very mild flu symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all and this means they pass germs on without being aware of it.
“Wearing a facemask is proven to reduce the risk of germs spreading and this is vital in healthcare settings.”
The Trust is also reminding members of the public how important it is to make sure that their hands are clean - with hand washing one of the most important and simple ways to stop the spread of germs.
Dr Wahid added: “We also want to remind everyone how important it is to clean your hands.
“This is one of the simplest and most important ways to stop germs spreading and we all have a part to play.
“We have lots of hand hygiene stations and signage in place in our sites for you to clean your hands and help us keep you, our patients and your loved ones safe and healthy.
“We really appreciate everyone’s support over the weeks ahead to keep everyone safe.”
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is also urging all those who are eligible for the flu vaccine to get it as soon as possible.
Anyone who is feeling unwell is also asked to stay away from visiting loved ones who are in hospital.