Visitor and Building Access Restrictions

VISITORS effective from Wednesday 30 September 2020

Visiting is currently restricted.

General wards

• Patients are permitted 1 x visiting session per day
• A maximum of 1 visitor is permitted at that daily session
• Visits must be no longer than 2 hours
• Visits must occur during the ward's visiting hours

Maternity
Antenatal and Postnatal patients are permitted:

• 1 support person who is also their labour support person
• 1 additional support person who can visit for up to two hours per day, but must be the same person throughout their admission. The additional support person's visit must occur during the maternity visiting hours

Patients on the labour ward are permitted 1 support person, and there is no time limit on the length of the labour support person’s visit.

Special Care Nursery
Visitors to the Special Care Nursery are limited to a maximum of two visitors only.

• Visitors can be the 2 (two) parents OR 1 (one) parent and 1 (one) support person. The same nominated people are the only visitors permitted for the duration of the baby's admission. The support person must be over the age of 18 years.

We know these restrictions can be challenging and we understand each family’s situation is different.  As such, approval on compassionate grounds may be possible the purpose of: 

• caring for children
• caring for those with a disability
• support during labour 
• in specific emergency situations
• visiting those in palliative care

Before arriving you must check with the ward that an exemption is permitted.

Anyone wishing to visit a patient on paediatrics ward or in the emergency department should contact the hospital for current visitor information.

ACCESS 

If you do not need to be on our premises, you must not enter. 

• When entering our buildings you will have your temperature checked, be screened for a number of standard questions, must register your details, and will be given a mask, if you do not have your own. 
• Entry is only through the Gardiner Pittard foyer entrance via either Drummond Street or the hospital car park.
• The Sturt Street entrance is only for BRICC oncology patients.
• The Emergency Department entrance is only for Emergency Department patients.  

Please continue to follow signs and directions regarding access as these continue to change. 

VISITORS effective from Wednesday 30 September 2020

Visiting is currently restricted.

• Patients are permitted 1 x visiting session per day
• A maximum of 1 visitor is permitted at that daily session
• Visits must be no longer than 2 hours

Visits to Gandarra (Palliative Care) and Jim Gay (GEM) are limited to one person at any time – immediate family/support person only unless prior approval on compassionate grounds.

We know these restrictions can be challenging and we understand each family’s situation is different.

Before arriving you must check with the ward that an exemption is permitted.

ACCESS 

If you do not need to be on our premises, you must not enter. 

• When entering our buildings you will have your temperature checked, be screened for a number of standard questions, must register your details and will be given a mask, if you do not have your own. 
• Additional family members are not permitted to wait in lobbies or waiting rooms. 
• For Inpatient Rehabilitation go through the entrance on Eyre Street
• For Gandarra and GEM please enter through their respective front entrances on Ascot Street
• All other services are accessed via the Ascot Street main entrance.  

Please continue to follow signs and directions regarding access as these continue to change.

VISITORS effective from Monday 5 October 2020

Visiting is currently restricted to the following:

• Visits will be limited to between 11am and 6pm, 7 days a week
• All visits must be scheduled with the facility
• A resident can have one visitor per day
• The visit is for a maximum of 60 minutes
• The visit is limited to one person at a time
• The visitor must wear facility-supplied personal protective equipment, and practice hand hygiene upon entry
• The visit is to occur in the resident's room, or a nominated area within and outside the facility
• The visitor must remain at a safe 1.5metre physical distance from the person they are visiting, staff and any other residents within the facility
• The visitor can bring food in the facility that is in a container that can be wiped clean and meets current BHS policies regarding food from outside facilities
• No children (under 18years) are to visit the facility

All visitors will be screened on entry for the following conditions:

• The visitor must not have travelled overseas in the past 14 days
• The visitor must not have been in contact with a person positive with COVID-19 in the past 14 days
• The visitor must not be waiting for a COVID-19 result
• The visitor must not have any cold, flu or respiratory symptoms, i.e fever, sore throat, cough, temperature, runny nose or shortness of breath
• The visitor cannot live or have travelled to a metropolitan Melbourne area
• Written evidence of flu vaccination will be required

Please contact the facility to make a time to meet with your loved one.

We know these restrictions can be challenging and we understand each family’s situation is different. If you wish to discuss your individual circumstances further, please contact the facility Manager.

Please continue to follow signs and directions regarding access as these continue to change.

If you have any specific concerns regarding our response or any other issue, please email: residential@bhs.org.au or call 5320 3620.

Our facilities include: 

• Talbot Place
• Eureka Village Hostel
• Geoffrey Cutter Centre
• Hailey House
• Jack Lonsdale Lodge
• James Thomas Court
• W.B. Messer Hostel
• P.S. Hobson Nursing Home
• Bill Crawford Lodge