Patients & Visitors

Children's Ward and Special Care Nursery

Children's Ward
TWO visitors at a time per person. (Parents are not counted as a Visitor).

All parents/guardians/visitors must adhere to mask wearing and not eat or drink at the bedside to avoid having to remove their mask.

Special Care Nursery
TWO visitors at a time per infant. All parents/guardians/visitors must adhere to mask wearing and not eat or drink at the bedside to avoid having to remove their mask.

Children under the age of 16 are not permitted as visitors unless for extenuating compassionate reasons. To visit, they must have Bed Manager or After Hours Manager approval in consultation with the relevant Nurse Unit Manager.

Maternity

Birth Suite

One primary support person for birth, plus one other support person.

All support persons in Birth Suite must wear the provided mask.

A support person may accompany the birthing mother to theatre, but must wear the supplied mask and comply with all Barwon Health requirements.

Maternity Ward

TWO visitors at a time per person. (Parents not counted as a visitor)All visitors must adhere to mask wearing and not eat or drink at the bedside to avoid having to remove their mask.

Emergency Department

• ED consumers are permitted to be accompanied by ONE support person at a time where required. The support person must wear an N95 mask at all times.

• All children who are patients may be accompanied by TWO parents/carers.

o Children under the age of 16 are not permitted as visitors unless for extenuating compassionate reasons. To visit, they must have Bed Manager or After Hours Manager approval in consultation with the relevant Nurse Unit Manager.

• We encourage consumers to limit the need for this support person for minor illness/injury–related presentations, to enable safe physical distancing in our waiting areas and treatment spaces in the ED.

• Adults in SCOVID/COVID precautions are not permitted to have a support person unless authorised by the Nurse in Charge (e.g. End-of-life, significant behaviours of concern).

• Please encourage a support person to remain for those presenting with psychological distress and/or mental illness, those with a disability or sensory impairment, consumers with cognitive impairment or to enable trauma-informed care (e.g. Patients with bleeding in early pregnancy).

Aged Care

There are no limits on time, number, or age of visitors to aged care. If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 within the facility, this may be subject to change to protect the vulnerable residents.

Each visitor must return a negative RAT and sign-in prior to access.

Designated ‘Partners in Care’ are able to visit residents during outbreaks.

A COVID-19 close contact may only visit for compassionate grounds. Visitors who are COVID-19 positive may visit in extenuating circumstances (e.g. end-of-life of a loved one); however, the visit must be discussed with the Facility Manager or Co-Director of Aged Care.

COVID-19 positive visitors or ‘partners in care’ entering during an outbreak will be met at the main entrance and placed in appropriate PPE. They will then be escorted through the building to visit their relative. They must follow all directions from Barwon Health staff.

Outpatients & Medical Imaging Appointments

One support person can accompany an individual for any clinic, imaging scan or outpatients appointment. The support person must wear a mask at all times.