New guidelines at Rugby's Hospital of St Cross to help prevent Covid-19 spread - here's what you need to know

Patients having day surgery at Rugby's Hospital of St Cross are now being treated on a 'Green Pathway' to help prevent the spread of Covid-19

The Green Pathway, the term given to Covid-free areas of the hospital, went live on Monday July 13.

It is part of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust’s plans to restore services that were paused while it responded to the pandemic.

The pathways, including one dedicated to surgery on University Hospital, Coventry, ensure patients have been assessed as having no current risk of Covid-19.

Staff working in the area follow rigorous infection control guidelines and safe discharge procedures.

Patients booked for surgery will be asked to self-isolate in their homes for 14 days before admission.

They will also have been screened for Covid-19, and have a welfare check before admission to make sure the surgery can go ahead.

As of July 13, only patients attending the Green Surgical Pathway – either on the day of appointment or for preoperative assessment - can use the Day Surgery entrance at Hospital of St Cross on Barby Road.

All other patients are asked to use alternate entrances to the hospital and will not be able to enter the Day Surgery Unit.

Volunteers are on site to help patients get where they need to be, and new signs are being installed around the site to guide anyone attending to alternate entrances.

Information that patients need before coming into the hospital will be made clear in appointment letters and other patient information.

Professor Nina Morgan, Chief Nursing Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said: “Green pathways are a significant development in getting our services back up and running and at the same time keeping patients safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We ask that our patients help us by adhering to the guidelines of the green pathways so that their appointments can go ahead safely.

“Services will look a little different at this time, and we thank our patients and the public for working with us as we restore the services that we had to pause whilst we responded to the pandemic”.

Patients are also being asked not to park in the Day Surgery car park unless they are accessing the following:

Diabetes centre

Children’s outpatients

Mobile CT scanner

Women’s and children’s services in Owen Building.

In line with national guidance, visiting restrictions remain in place across the hospital sites.

Everyone coming onto hospital sites is required to wear a face covering and adhere to good hand hygiene.

If you don’t have a face covering, you will be given a mask on arrival.