Facemasks no longer compulsory in most areas at Nottingham University Hospitals

Thanks to a decline in Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust has decided to ‘pause’ the use of face masks in most clinical areas across its hospital sites.

The three main sites in Nottingham include Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) where the Emergency Department (A&E) major trauma centre and Nottingham Children’s Hospital are located, Nottingham City Hospital where cancer centre, heart centre and stroke services are based and Ropewalk House where the trust provides a range of outpatient services, including hearing services.

This began on Monday, June 5 where it will now optional for patients, staff and visitors in most clinical areas. This excludes areas with clinical extremely vulnerable patients who may still be at risk of serious complications.

The areas where people will be required to wear a mask will be clearly marked with red which will show that ‘you are in a high risk area.’ Posters will also be placed at the entrances and masks will still be available at hospital sites for people to wear.

In some instances staff, patients and visitors may still be advised by infection prevention control to wear a mask, for example when visiting patients with Covid-19. Patients and visitors may still see some staff wearing masks if they choose to do so. If a patient is being treated in any area of the hospital and asks a member of staff to wear a mask the member of staff will do so.

Keith Girling, Medical Director for Nottingham University Hospitals, said: “We regularly review mask wearing in our hospitals based on national guidance, local epidemiology and risks of cross transmission of various infectious diseases including Covid-19. Face masks have played a huge part in our efforts to protect many of our most vulnerable patients, staff and visitors and it’s important that they continue to be worn in places where there are clinically vulnerable patients.

“In the vast majority of hospital wards and areas, people will no longer be required to wear a mask, but there will be some clinical areas where people will continue to be instructed to wear surgical face masks.

“We know that although these changes will be welcomed by many, some patients will feel uncomfortable not wearing a facemask, and we would encourage them to ask members of staff to wear a mask during their appointment if they would like them to do so as well.”