Coronavirus Guidance

Page updated: 26 March 2020 12.50pm

We will update this page regularly as new information is issued.

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PLEASE NOTE: As from 6am, 26 March 2020 in order to help protect patients, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are no longer accepting visitors except for the following reasons:

▶️ The patient is receiving end of life care
▶️ The patient is a child or neonate - must be a parent/carer only
▶️ A partner or birthing partner accompanying a woman in labour

Information about the virus

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

Stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading

Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

You should only leave the house for 1 of 4 reasons:

shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home

These 4 reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

There is separate advice about:

How to stop infection spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus.

Do:

wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
wash your hands as soon as you get back home
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Don't:

do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

What to do if you need medical help

If you need medical help for any reason, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough), use the 111 coronavirus service.

If you need help or advice not related to coronavirus:

for health information and advice, use the NHS website or your GP surgery website
for urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service – only call 111 if you're unable to get help online
for life-threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance

Social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults

This guidance is for everyone. It advises on social distancing measures we should all be taking to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

It is intended for use in situations where people are living in their own homes, with or without additional support from friends, family and carers. If you live in a residential care setting - guidance is available at residential care setting.

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