We work hard to provide a safe environment for patients and their loved ones by reducing the risk of transmissible infections.
As we care for very vulnerable people, we must follow the latest national guidance on protecting against respiratory infections such as Covid-19 and Influenza.
Our In-patient Unit (IPU) visitor information is updated following reviews to national Covid-19 guidance for hospices. And, it is also based on the latest local information regarding infection rates.
You can read our guidelines on visiting the IPU below, along with suggestions on how to stay in touch with your loved one.
Please contact our IPU team on 01905 958163 before visiting to discuss arrangements, or if you have any questions.
Who can visit?
On admission, a member of the IPU team will talk to the patient and family to create a visiting care plan. This will include details of those people who are most significant to the patient and who they would most like to visit them.
Visitors at the bedside
Patients can be visited each day between 12pm and 8pm.
When a person is approaching the very end of their life, we will talk with their family and loved ones about how we can support more relaxed visiting times.
Infection prevention and control
Please do not visit if you have symptoms of, or have tested positive for, Covid-19. We also ask you not to visit if you have symptoms of any other transmissible illness, such as flu or norovirus.
Arrival at the In-patient Unit
Please wash your hands in the facilities available, and use hand sanitiser, before entering the IPU.
Before you leave the patient’s room, please cleanse your hands with the alcohol gel available.
You do not need to wear a face mask, unless you are unwell or if the person you are visiting prefers you to do so. If you are visiting someone who has, or may have, an infectious illness we also advise you to wear a mask.
Patients and visitors with Covid-19
Visiting a patient with Covid-19 will be accommodated as far as possible, particularly if compassionate visiting is agreed with the IPU staff.
If a visitor is showing symptoms of, or is positive for Covid-19, and wishes to see a patient who is nearing the very end of their life, all will be done to support this safely.
Staying in touch
To help families stay in touch, we can support virtual visiting using technology such as video calls and apps. This will be discussed with patients and families on admission, and we can help provide access to equipment in the hospice.
We have also set up an email address for you to send personal messages and photographs to your loved one at St Richard’s Hospice. Email your message to:
Messages will be printed out and given to your loved one. If your loved one would like to send a reply, our IPU Team will help ensure their message is sent on to you.
How to find us
Please park in the main car park at the front of St Richard’s Hospice on Wildwood Drive, Worcester.
