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• Home | Patients & visitors | Patient care | Infection control |
  • Information for patients and visitors

Visitors and patients

The Trust has introduced a visitor’s code, designed to inform you of ways you can contribute towards preventing the spread of infection through your hospital.

How can patients and visitors help?

The best way you can help contribute to preventing bacteria (germs) passing from one patient to another is by washing your hands.  

Some bacteria survive in the skin scales on the body which are then shed. In hospital these are most likely to be shed onto bed sheets or toiletries. These bacteria can be picked up by your skin or clothing and transferred to you.  Laundering of patient clothing

• Do not share toiletries i.e. soap or towels.
• Patients should avoid sitting on beds belonging to other patients.
• Visitors should use the chairs provided rather than sit on the beds.

If you have any wound dressings, stitches, drips or urinary catheters try not to touch them unnecessarily. This will prevent germs being transferred from your hands to these vulnerable sites. Follow the advice given by the staff caring for you.

• Comply with visiting times and numbers. This allows cleaning to occur and infection risks due to overcrowding to be reduced.
• Limit the amount of personal belongings that are brought into hospital. Storage on the wards is limited and it becomes difficult to clean the area if it is cluttered.
• Do not visit the ward if you are ill, have an infection or have recently had diarrhoea or vomiting. If you have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting, please do not visit friends / relatives until 48 hours has lapsed from your last symptoms.

If you are unsure of what to do, or don’t know if your condition is infectious then please telephone the ward and ask for advice.

• While you are visiting at the hospital please do not use the patients’ toilets. There are separate toilets for visitors.
• Please help us keep our hospitals clean and tidy. By disposing of waste (for example used tissues or sweet wrappers) in the household waste bins provided.
• We would prefer food not to be brought in from home. However, we do recognise that this does happen; please realise that we cannot reheat any foods not prepared in the hospital nor share them with other patients due to the risk of food poisoning. Food brought in from home should be labelled with the patient’s name and date of preparation. Expired food will be destroyed.

How do we care for patients with infections?

Sometimes it is necessary to care for patients using extra precautions. This may be if you have a confirmed or suspected infection or are prone to infections. This could involve you being moved to a room of your own. Staff may need to wear aprons and gloves when they are caring for you.

It is rare that visitors are required to take extra precautions but this should be checked with the staff looking after you.

Laundering clothes

 You may need to take special precautions when laundering clothes of patients with infections.

If you think there is anything missing from this site or if you have any suggestions that could help us reduce or prevent infections, please e-mail us at talktous@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or write to us at:

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
London Road
Reading RG1 5AN