This is an especially difficult and worrying time if you have a relative or someone you care for who is currently in hospital. Being unable to visit them can make stress and worry extremely tough. Therefore, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) has put some support in place to try and reduce this stress and help you keep you in contact with those whom you love.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
You can now contact the patient advice and liaison service every day of the week. This is including weekends from 10am-3pm. You can contact them by phone on 01296 316042, or email bht.pals@nhs.net.
Send a Letter to a Loved One
BHT know how important it is for you to keep in touch with friends and relatives who have to be in our hospitals. They have set up a dedicated email address, bht.lettertoalovedone@nhs.net, so that you can send a letter to a loved one. You may also include one photograph. They will print it out, pop it into an envelope and deliver it to your loved one for them to keep and re-read as they wish.
Emotional and spiritual support for relatives and carers
The Chaplaincy team are extending their emotional and spiritual support service. This is to include the family and carers of patients currently in hospital. To make an appointment contact Lindsay van Dijk who is the Lead Chaplain, by email lindsay.vandijk@nhs.net, or call 07557 633289
‘Virtual visits’ by video call
Nothing is as good as seeing your loved one face to face, but BHT will do all they can to support patients to have video calls. They can help patients do this with their own phones and they also have iPads we can use for this purpose. For any queries about virtual visits contact Amarjit.kaur9@nhs.net
For further details click below:
https://www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/coronavirus/keeping-in-contact-during-covid-19.htm
74 year old patient told she may have covid19 symptoms, 10 days ago. Yesterday asked about the test for over 65s with symptoms and was told you have to be tested within the first 3 days. Why isn’t this reported in tv programmes etc. She would like to know if she’s had the virus or not.
Its inititive like this that make all the difference to patients, thank you BHT.