Face masks or coverings to be compulsory at Queen Alexandra Hospital and other Portsmouth hospital sites
FACE masks and coverings will be compulsory for staff and visitors to the city’s hospital from next week.
From Monday, visitors and staff to Queen Alexandra Hospital, and any other NHS hospital location, must wear face masks or coverings at all times to help reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus in line with government guidance.
It is also mandatory in England to wear a face covering on public transport from Monday, which includes trains, buses, trams, ferries and planes.
Medical director at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS trust John Knighton said: ‘From Monday June 15 all members of the public coming into Portsmouth Hospitals sites will need to wear a face covering as directed by the government.
‘That is obviously a significant departure from what has happened previously but you can find guidance as to what a face covering is, and it is different from a surgical mask that our staff will be wearing.
‘When you come on to the site if you are not wearing a face covering, you will be asked to and one will be offered to you but please if you can bring a face covering with you and wear it on public transport if you are coming in on public transport and wear it anywhere on the hospital site.’
Information on what constitutes a face covering can be found on by visiting the gov.uk website.
For people who wearing a face covering may be difficult due to physical or mental health conditions, other measures will be considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments and being seen immediately on arrival.
At a daily government coronavirus press conference last week, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘As the NHS reopens right across the country, it is critically important to stop the spread amongst staff, patients and visitors too.
‘So we are setting out that all hospital visitors and outpatients will need to wear face coverings.
‘To offer even greater protection, we are also providing new guidance for NHS staff in England which will come into force again on June 15, and all hospital staff will be required to wear Type 1 or 2 surgical masks, and this will cover all staff working in hospital.’