Self isolation: For planned health care such as a surgical operation, you will be asked to self-isolate (excludes most children) at home before admission. The period of self-isolation will vary between 10 days and three days depending on your associated Covid-19 risks. Your clinical team will explain this to you as part of your consultations.
If you don’t think you can adhere to the self-isolation request you must inform us as this will affect your admission arrangements for surgery. Anyone within your immediate household should follow government guidance to reduce risks to you during the 10 days prior to surgery, this includes: Adhering to social distancing where possible, good hand hygiene and also use of face coverings in public away from the immediate household.
You should have been provided with relevant information leaflets including:
You will be asked to attend the drive through swab hub at the Keep Moat stadium in Doncaster (DN4 5JW) to have a Covid-19 swab test before your admission and unless it is extremely urgent, your treatment will only proceed if the test is negative. This will be 72 hours before your procedure and you will be asked to attend between 08:30 and 11:00 am Monday to Friday and you will have any blood tests completed if required at this time.
If you are unable to attend the drive through hub for health related reasons please speak with the pre-operative nurses who will explore this with you further and make alternative arrangements for your swab to be completed.
We recognise that self-isolating may be difficult for some patients and if you need some help while you are self-isolating, NHS Volunteers Responders can help you with daily tasks such as collecting your shopping or prescriptions or call you for a friendly chat. Please call 0808 196 3646 any time between 8am-8pm or visit www.nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk. There are also a number of local organisations who can help including:
- Doncaster Community Hub: This is a free service organised by St Ledger homes Doncaster, a small charge may be made for food parcels – to contact the service, call 01302 430300.
- Doncaster Community Development: This service offers help to the vulnerable and elderly for the following postcodes: DN1, DN2, DN3, DN4 – to contact the service, call 07493457936.
- Age UK: During this Coronavirus outbreak Age UK will continue to support Doncaster’s older people in their hour of need. Please call us on 01302 812345. Alternatively, you can contact us via email admin@ageukdoncaster.org.uk
Travelling from home for your planned admission
There are some important steps that you can take to protect yourself and others from the spread of coronavirus when travelling to and from your appointment and during your time in our hospitals:
If you or household members use public transport, taxi or are being driven by someone not in your immediate house hold you must wear a mask or face covering. A cloth face covering should cover your mouth and nose and allow you to breathe comfortably. Face coverings do not replace the need to follow social distancing rules but may prevent you passing on coronavirus before you have symptoms.
You can find instructions on how to make an appropriate face covering here.
Other top tips and essential guidance:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water: Soap and water is preferred, however use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
- Maintain two metres distance from people: Who are not part of your household.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth: With unwashed hands.
- Ensuring that frequently touched services are cleaned regularly in the home, use separate toilets from other house hold members if possible, avoid using the same towels.
Before or on the day of your admission
If you or anyone in your household develops a symptom that might be related to Covid-19 in the seven days prior to your admission date, please contact us.
What to look out for:
- A high temperature – If you feel hot to touch on your chest or back and/or you have a temperature above 37.8 (if you have access to a thermometer).
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
- Any loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.
If you think you have the symptoms of coronavirus, please use the NHS 111 service by ringing 111 or via the online advice hub who can tell you if you need medical help.
Visiting guidance:
Please note, visiting restrictions are in place – view them here.
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