Over the last few years, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deployed a range of measures to keep our patients and employees safe while continuing to provide care to the communities we serve. As we have done throughout, these measures are regularly reviewed and adjusted when required.
From Wednesday this week, screening teams were stood down from entrances across Monash Health sites. With the removal of screening teams has come entrance closures at night, as per pre-COVID conditions.
The reinstatement of closed front doors after hours has highlighted the effect this has had on after-hours deliveries and visitors. We have learnt that deliveries (for instance, food delivery services for patients and employees) and people coming to visit patients outside the official visiting hours, has become more prevalent than it may have been pre-COVID. While screening teams may have been able to assist, it is unreasonable to expect our emergency department teams to play this concierge-style role.
The result is that some of our emergency department teams have been faced with delivery people and visitors who have been funnelled through their doors. This has been causing unnecessary congestion and distraction for clinicians away from the important work of delivering care for our sick patients. The emergency department teams do not have capacity to receive deliveries of any description at any time of day, and it’s not fair to expect them to do so.
Please remind all patients and families that visiting hours across Monash Health hospitals are between 10am and 8pm. You can refer patients and visitors to the Visitor restrictions page on the Monash Health website: Visitor restrictions | Monash Health
There will be no access for visitors or staff through the public entrances after 9pm – signage will be posted and, where relevant, outer airlock doors locked. Normal exceptions for visitation after hours, such as rapid deterioration or end of life remain in place, where access will be provided via Emergency Departments.
All regular access points for staff in hours and after hours remain unchanged.
If patients or employees wish to order food or schedule other deliveries within the hospitals’ opening hours, they will need to take receipt of the delivery personally or have a family member or representative do so.
Thank you for reinforcing the importance of this message to patients, families, visitors and colleagues, as we continue to adapt to keep our community safe.
Approved by Adjunct Professor Katrina Nankervis, Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery