Visiting at Galway University Hospitals will be limited to compassionate grounds from New Year’s Day due to a COVID outbreak at UHG.
The outbreak at the hospital is having a significant impact on services, with a number of elective procedures being postponed so staff can support essential emergency care.
Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed. All routine inpatient surgeries scheduled for next week have also been postponed.
Visiting will now be by appointment only, and hospital staff will confirm appointments and times with the nominated support person or visitor.
The nominated support person/visitor must complete a COVID screening checklist and follow the public health guidance, including wearing a FFP2 surgical face mask and performing good hand hygiene regularly whilst visiting.
Visitors will also be asked to produce their EU Digital COVID Certificate or HSE Vaccination Record or other proof of immunity at the hospital Entrance.
There are separate arrangements in place for access to the maternity department for nominated support partners, in line with national guidance.
Visiting to the maternity department for nominated support partners will be facilitated once a day for a 1 hour period between 5pm and 8pm.
Partners can continue to attend for all deliveries, inductions, scans and emergency presentations. All visits must be preapproved by the ward/unit manager.
The visiting restriction will remain in place for one week and the situation will be monitored continually in the meantime.
Time sensitive, urgent cases will proceed when it is safe to do them and patients will be contacted if they are to attend. The situation is being kept under constant review.
Out-patient services are proceeding. Ambulatory gynaecology, some endoscopy and other non-theatre day cases are proceeding but remain under review.
Patients should confirm that their case is proceeding on the day before it is scheduled using the contact details provided on their appointment notification.
