Lateral flow tests required for visitors to Stamford hospital

Update: Read the latest here.

Visitors to Stamford and Rutland Hospital will have to do a lateral flow test on the days of their visit from Thursday (November 18) as the trust battles against a rise in local COVID cases.

The changes are being implemented by North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, who also operate Peterborough City Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon.

Peterborough and Cambridgeshire are now an Enhanced Response Area for COVID-19.

Guidance must be followed when the named visitor has a lateral flow test on the day of their visit. Failure to comply with this will result in being refused entry to to the hospital they are visiting.

In the seven days up to November 11, Stamford had 110 cases of coronavirus, according to the government’s coronavirus interactive map. Stamford Central, West and South saw a 16.7% during that period compared to the previous week, while Stamford North rose by 41.9%.

The North West Anglia NHS Trust said: “Due to a rise in cases in our local community, we need to take extra measures to protect our patients and prevent the virus being brought into our hospitals by external visitors.

“In order to keep our patients as safe as possible we ask that the named visitor performs a lateral flow test (LFT) on the days of their visit. If the test is positive please inform the ward and do not come to the hospital.

“If the test is negative then please ensure you bring evidence of this with you when coming in for your visit.

“This can be in the form of the email response once you have logged it on the gov.uk website or from a photograph of the test itself. Failure to comply with this will result in you being refused entry to the hospital you are visiting.”