Latest Updates

Click on the headers below to view the latest updates.

• Visiting Restrictions Updated - Updated 3rd May 2022
  Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is pleased to be able to increase the number of visitors across its sites.

  From Tuesday 3rd May, in-patients at the Trust’s hospital sites will now be able to welcome two visitors following temporary restrictions that had to be put in place as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  WWL’s Chief Nurse, Rabina Tindale says she is grateful to the local community for their continued support and understanding.

  She said: “Again, we would like to say thank you to the public and our community for supporting us and continuing to adhere to guidelines as we begin to increase the number of visitors to our hospitals.

  “Being able to visit loved ones during their time in hospital is vital to the wellbeing of both the patient and those who care for them and we’re glad that we’re now able to accommodate more than one visitor at a time for each patient.”

  While restrictions will be lifted, traditional visiting hours will be replaced with designated times for visitors to see their loved ones. All patients will be allowed one visit per day and will be allocated a specific time slot.

  And alongside allocated visiting times, social distancing and mask-wearing must also be adhered to.

  Rabina added: “While we are delighted to be able to now welcome more than one visitor for patients, we must ask that, when visiting our hospital sites, people remain vigilant in following our current visiting policies.

  “Please do only visit loved ones if you feel well and have no traditional COVID-19 symptoms. We would also urge visitors to continue to wear a mask when on any hospital or service site, using cleansing gels on entering and exiting buildings and practice good hand hygiene. The health, safety and wellbeing of the public, our patients, communities, and staff across the organisation continues to remain our absolute priority.”

  While WWL is happy to have lifted visiting restrictions, some COVID guidelines still apply. We would urge those who wish to visit family and friends at WWL sites, to contact the ward directly for further support.
• Update 9th February 2022 - Greater Manchester Elective Recovery and Reform

  Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has begun to resume non-urgent surgery and appointments, alongside other hospitals in Greater Manchester.

   

  If your appointment or surgery was recently postponed, we are asking you to please bear with us as we work through the waiting lists. Following guidance from NHS England, patients will be rescheduled as soon as possible based on clinical need and will be contacted directly when we can offer a new date for your appointment or surgery. There is no need to contact the hospital or your GP practice for this information.

   

  At the beginning of January, the difficult decision was made to pause non-urgent surgery and appointments due to the impact of COVID-19 and the associated staff absence levels.

  We appreciate how disappointing this will have been for patients affected by this over the past few weeks, especially for those who had already waited some time. We are working hard to resume services as quickly as possible as, although services remain busy, the situation has improved to the point where we have resumed some non-urgent surgery.

   

  In the meantime, information is available on the ‘While You Wait’ section of our website and the Greater Manchester ‘While You Wait’ website (whileyouwait.org.uk), which both provide information and advice on how to manage physical and mental wellbeing during this time. 

• Update 27th January 2022 - Infection prevention control guidelines to remain in place

  The safety of staff, patients and visitors remains the highest priority for the NHS. Everyone accessing or visiting health and care settings must continue to wear a face mask/covering (unless they are exempt) and follow physical/social distancing rules.

  The infection prevention and control guidelines are therefore set to remain in place for all staff and visitors, and across all health and care settings and services, including hospitals, GP practices, dentists, optometrists and pharmacies to ensure patients and staff are protected.

  

• Out-Patients Department (OPD) Attendance - Updated 4th January 2022

  In the interest of everyone’s safety during the current COVID-19 situation and to prevent onward spread of the infection, please can we remind patients attending an appointment within the hospital or community settings, to attend alone or with one parent or carer where possible.

  Please can we also remind patients and all parents or carers to wear a face mask during the appointment unless exempt, and remember good hand hygiene and social distancing measures can help to keep everyone safe.

• Maternity Visiting - Updated 20th December 2021

  The Maternity Service at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is working closely with our local and national partner agencies to ensure our patients, public and staff remain safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Due to the current growing concerns of the pandemic, the Trust has made a decision to make some changes to our visiting.

  The Maternity Service has supported visiting for birth partners throughout the pandemic, however given the current concerns, there is a need to reduce the risk to mothers, babies, and staff in order to keep them safe.

  Our current Maternity Visiting Policy is as follows:

  • The Trust cannot accommodate any more than one support partner due to social distancing limitations within most of the Maternity areas of the hospital.
  • Please note that no children are permitted to enter the hospital for any appointments (unless they are a patient) or for any visiting.
  • One support person is permitted to accompany a pregnant woman to their 12 week scan (NT or dating scan) and 20 week (anomaly) scan.
  • One Support person can attend all antenatal hospital and community appointments.
  • One support person can accompany women who are attending appointments for Day Assessment or for Triage.
  • Visiting for antenatal and postnatal women will be for 3 hours per day and will be required to be booked in advance, this can be taken as two separate 1.5 hours if preferred. This includes women who have been admitted to hospital as an inpatient before giving birth (e.g. for close monitoring) and are being cared for on the maternity ward.
  • Women who are being induced can attend with their birth partner who may stay with them for 3 hours, any further visiting will need to be booked in advance and is arranged flexibly with the midwife dependant on the workload.  When the women are transferred to the Delivery Suite for the next stage of the induction process their nominated birth partner will be contacted and invited to attend
  • Women undergoing an elective caesarean section will be admitted to the Maternity Ward and can bring her chosen support partner with her. Your birth partner may remain  with you following surgery for up to 2 hours following your return to the Maternity ward.
  • When attending the hospital for labour and birth, one support partner is able to attend the Delivery suite with you; when it is confirmed that you are in active labour a second support person can be invited to attend with you if you wish. They will remain with you throughout your birth until your transfer to the postnatal ward, at which point your support partner’s will be required to leave the hospital.
  • We fully recognise that there are times when women will require additional family support which will be discussed and agreed on an individual basis.

  Any birth partner will need to conform to the standard Trust guidance of:

  • Wearing a hospital grade surgical mask which will be supplied
  • Having their temperature checked on attendance, if this is above 37.8 they will be asked to leave the site
  • Keeping movement in and out of the Delivery Suite and Maternity ward to an absolute minimum and ideally not to leave the area at all
  • Respecting the two-metre social distancing where possible
  • Will need to provide evidence of a recent negative lateral flow test or agree to one being taken prior to entering the Delivery suite or Maternity ward.

  Partners will not be allowed If they have:

  • Tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently self-isolating or are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
  • Are self-isolating because they have been in close contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive.
  • Have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace to say they have been in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.
• Message to my loved one

  As a Trust we acknowledge the very difficult and distressing times our loved ones, their families, friends, and carers are experiencing at this unprecedented time. We acknowledge that it can be frustrating not being able to contact your loved one. You can send a message to the following email address: MyMessageTo.MyLovedOne@wwl.nhs.uk – we can print your message and deliver it to the ward or do our best to find an alternative method to get your message delivered.

• Coronavirus information for the public

  

   

  Self-isolate straight away and get a PCR test (a test that is sent to the lab) on GOV.UK as soon as possible if you have any of these 3 symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild:

  • a high temperature
  • a new, continuous cough
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

  You should also self-isolate straight away if:

  • you've tested positive for COVID-19 – this means you have the virus
  • someone you live with has symptoms or tested positive (unless you are not required to self-isolate – check below if this applies to you)
  • you've been told to self-isolate following contact with someone who tested positive – find out what to do if you're told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app

  When you do not need to self-isolate

  If you live with or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, you will not need to self-isolate if any of the following apply:

  • you're fully vaccinated – this means 14 days have passed since your final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine
  • you're under 18 years and 6 months old
  • you're taking part or have taken part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
  • you're not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

  Even if you do not have symptoms, you're strongly advised to:

  • do daily rapid lateral flow tests (1 a day for 7 days), if you’re fully vaccinated, to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 - find out more about daily testing on GOV.UK
  • follow advice on how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19
  • consider limiting contact with people who are at higher risk from COVID-19

  For further information click here.