Advice to patients and visitors attending our hospital sites

We are seeing an increase in infectious illnesses circulating in our communities across Cardiff and Vale. These illnesses include respiratory conditions, such as flu, COVID-19 and seasonal colds as well as viral infections with symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting.

To help keep our patients, their families and our colleagues safe as we enter the winter months, we are asking all visitors to our hospital sites to only attend if you are feeling fit and well. This includes if you are visiting family or friends on wards, or if you are attending outpatient appointments.

As a Health Board, we work to ensure that all steps are taken to minimise the spread of infection. We are asking our outpatients, visitors and colleagues to do the same to help us keep people safe this winter.

Some things you can do to help are:

• If you have an outpatient appointment, scan or clinic and you feel unwell, please do not attend. Please contact the relevant team and explain the situation and reschedule your appointment for a time when you are feeling better.

• If you are visiting a family member or friend, and have symptoms of respiratory conditions or viral infections, please do not attend the ward until you have been free of your symptoms for 48 hours.

• Even if you are feeling well, please continue to wash your hands and use the alcohol sanitising stations before visiting the wards and when leaving. This is to keep both yourself and our patients safe.

For those looking to protect themselves from seasonal illness this year, we are encouraging our communities to get booster vaccines against COVID-19 and flu.

We thank you for your continued support and cooperation in helping to keep our communities safe.