As of Friday 27 March 2020 all hospitals across the Northern Care Alliance Group have suspended all visiting hours.

Following a national decision taken by NHS England to suspend hospital visiting in a bid to reduce COVID-19 infection rates, all visiting across the four sites at Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, including North Manchester General Hospital; Fairfield Hospital; Royal Oldham Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary, and at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, has been suspended until further notice. 

Notices have been placed at all entrances and exits to the hospital sites and their website and social media channels have been updated with this information.

Patients and visitors are being encouraged to keep in touch using phone and video calls, and teams at all of the sites are providing families with updates on their loved ones wherever possible.

The health, safety and wellbeing of patients, communities and individuals and teams across the organisation remain the absolute priority.

Please note exceptional circumstances can be applied to the suspension where one visitor – an immediate family member or carer – will be permitted to visit our sites are listed below:

• The patient being visited is receiving end-of-life care.
• The visitor is accompanying a woman in labour.
• The visitor is a parent or appropriate adult visiting their child.

All visitors who meet these criteria are being advised to contact the relevant ward or department in advance to discuss appropriate arrangements.

Please share this information with any relevant teams and/or individuals across your organisation/s (eg GPs, Practice Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Community Health and Social Care teams).