Hospitals in Doncaster introduce virtual visiting for vulnerable patients

With the support of an IT team, certain key areas at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital’s (DBTH) are now able to facilitate ‘’virtual visiting,’’ so that vulnerable patients can keep in touch with their loved ones during this stressful time.

Karen Lanaghan, Lead Nurse End of Life Care Services, said: ‘’Being able to communicate with one another is of the utmost importance for our patients and their families, as no one should face their last days alone.

“However, the global situation has unfortunately forced us to curtail visits, for the sake of wider patient safety.

“By having access to this technology, we can at least provide a way through which people can speak to their loved ones, see their faces, and feel together.’’

The facility has already been enabled for both the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and the End of Life Care team, although plans are being developed to make the innovation more widely available in the coming months.

Whilst certain allowances have been made to ensure that those receiving palliative care are able to still have visitors, the restrictions are tighter than usual, with a strict limitation being placed on how long visits may last and how many people can be present for them.

As such, the End of Life Care team has been working tirelessly to adapt their service, so that it is more accommodating during the ongoing pandemic.

For example, loved ones can now keep in touch with patients by emailing a letter to dedicated volunteers [email protected] who will then print off these messages and hand them over to the intended recipient, in a way that is safe and wholly compliant with infection prevention control protocols.

Scott Ashmore, ICT Network Manager at the Trust and lead for the Virtual Visiting project, said: ‘’I am fortunate to work with such a dedicated team.

“Together, we have been working very hard to introduce this brand-new facility into the trust.“This is obviously a very trying time for all, and we are just doing what we can to make things a little bit easier.

“I really hope that patients and their loved ones take some comfort and reassurance in knowing that, despite everything that is going on, they can keep in touch whilst in hospital.’’

The team is also arranging ‘’virtual visits,’’ whereby they can connect patients to their families and friends using Android devices.

Newly introduced by the trust’s IT department, these video calls are coordinated by ward staff and help people get together remotely, without having to worry about the restrictions that would apply for an in-person visit.

In terms of SCBU, virtual visiting will enable mums and dads who are currently self-isolating to still have some form of contact with their baby.

Having a child on the unit can be very distressing, a feeling which is compounded by not being able to physically be there with them.

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