Effective Friday 12^th April 2024:

Eastern Health is committed to balancing patients’ need for contact with their families and friends and providing services in a safe and effective manner.

Visitors to hospital are encouraged to use hand sanitiser and wear a mask in ward or clinic areas.

Some areas of our facilities have additional PPE requirements. Visitors are asked to follow requests from staff to wear different masks, gloves or gowns where required.

The following visitors are advised not to attend:
• Visitors with symptoms of COVID-19
• Visitors who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 7 days
• Visitors who are a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case

Children aged 8 years and over are asked to wear a surgical mask in ward or clinic areas. Children are included in the total number of visitors for a patient.

Children presenting for treatment aged 2-8 years of age may wear a surgical mask if tolerated.

AREA	VISITOR GUIDANCE
Birth Suite	A partner and a support person of a pregnant patient can attend the labour and birth for as long as required. Siblings are permitted to visit after the baby is born. If you have COVID-19 at the time of labour, your partner or support person will be able to accompany you in birth suite. Please discuss these arrangements with staff.
Postnatal ward	Two adults may visit (i.e. partner/support person and one other support person or 2 support persons if partner not present). Siblings of newborn are permitted. Partner/support person may stay overnight only if patient is in single room. Visiting hours are 8am-8pm.
Special care nursery and Paediatric ward	Two parents or guardians may visit and stay overnight on the paediatric ward. Siblings of patients may accompany parent/s who are visiting during the day (while in the ward they must remain by the patient’s bedside). Parents may visit special care nursery overnight to facilitate breastfeeding.
Antenatal clinic	A partner or support person may attend. Children may accompany their parent to the appointment.
Outpatients and other day procedure areas	One visitor may accompany an adult patient to their appointment. For children, two carers may accompany the patient.
Mental Health services (including adolescent, infant, child, youth, older adult and inpatient units)	There is no restriction on visiting. Visitors are encouraged to contact the service prior to visiting.
Perinatal Emotional Health Service (PEHS)	Outpatient clients with a clinical appointment may attend appointment with their partner/support person and infant/under school age children or, as requested by the service.
Inpatient ward areas (adult) including Emergency Department	Two visitors at the bedside of the patient are permitted. Exceptional and compassionate circumstances will be considered by local care teams.
Residential Care Services	There are no restrictions for visitors in residential care services.

All visitors to Eastern Health have a responsibility to treat all healthcare staff and patients with respect and courtesy, without discrimination and behave in a way that does not disrupt our services or cause harm to our staff members, patients or visitors. Physical aggression and abusive language including swearing, name calling and threats directed at our staff will not be tolerated. We thank you for your cooperation.