Update from Bart's Trust: staying in contact with loved ones at Bart's Trust

We bring you an update from Bart’s Trust who have created dedicated family contact centres.

The centres help families stay in touch and get updates on how their family members are doing. The centres provide one point of contact to ask for information about a loved one by e-mail or telephone. Messages can be relayed to the ward teams who can provide responses, bringing families closer together while visiting restrictions remain in place.

The dedicated family contact can help with arranging language support, dropping off items and food, spiritual and religious support, setting up virtual visits using iPads and help with and sending photos and messages to loved ones.

The Trust understands the difficulties faced by families during the pandemic in visiting each other. However, they have to strike a balance to keep patients and their relatives safe while reducing the risk of spreading Covid-19 without affecting the wider family.

This policy is on the trust and hospital websites, is reviewed regularly.