Temporary visiting restrictions at Western Isles Hospital

From today (Tuesday, June 1) visiting at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway will be restricted to Essential Visiting only as a temporary measure. 

NHS Western Isles would like to apologise for any inconvenience or upset caused as a result of this measure. However, it is considered necessary to ensure the safety of staff and patients, as the Stornoway hospital is currently extremely busy and it would not be possible to maintain safe physical distancing. 

This means that, until further notice, only Essential Visitors will be permitted to visit hospital inpatients in Western Isles Hospital. (For enquiries in-hours, contact Chris Anne Campbell; and out of hours, contact the Executive Manager on Call.)

Examples of essential visits include (but are not limited to): 

• A birth partner supporting a woman during hospital visits;
• A person receiving end-of-life care;
• To support someone with a mental health issue; or dementia, a learning disability or autism where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed;
• To accompany a child in hospital. 

Visiting in the hospitals in Benbecula and Barra will remain at present as two named visitors. 

All visitors are encouraged to participate in the twice-weekly Universal Lateral Flow COVID-19 testing scheme, to help protect our patients and staff as visiting restrictions are relaxed. Test kits can be ordered at: https://test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/order-lateral-flow-kits/condition 

Virtual Visiting continues to be offered and is an alternative solution to visiting face-to-face. If you would like to video call your friend or family member, or for further information, please telephone 01851 708205.      

Again, we would like to apologise for any convenience or distress caused as a result of this safety measure, and thank everyone in advance for their understanding and cooperation.