The ongoing safety, health and wellbeing of our patients, visitors, staff, volunteers and doctors during the COVID pandemic has and always remains our single highest priority. Please find below a summary of our current COVID safety measures, including patient admission requirements and our latest visiting guidelines.
The Burnside Hospital reserves the right to alter these guidelines in its unfettered discretion. As such, changes may be made with minimal notice to ensure that we remain aligned with community conditions and the health advice available at the time.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Please select options below for all relevant information.
Page updated: Thursday 16th February 2023
Patient Admission Information (day surgery, maternity and general wards)
Patient vaccination status
Burnside Hospital will continue to accept all patients irrespective of their vaccination status, however our preference is that patients are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Patient screening and testing requirements
To ensure that we continue to protect our patients, staff, volunteers and visiting medical officers, the following will continue to apply at Burnside Hospital:
- COVID-19 screening questions will be asked during the pre-admission call and on the day of admission. Consideration will be made where any COVID risk factors are identified, which may lead to the requirement for testing
- If you have tested COVID positive, please do not attend the hospital for seven (7) days. a discussion with your treating Doctor will occur to determine next steps as soon as possible as they may recommend that you undergo further health assessments and will ensure your admission and/or surgery is scheduled accordingly.
- Patients who are symptomatic must notify their admitting doctor and obtain a PCR test and have a negative result before admission
- If you are a close contact, household contact, or classroom contact, you cannot enter the hospital for a minimum of seven (7) days. This applies to all staff, patients and visitors.
Page updated: Thursday 16th February 2023
Current Visitor Restrictions
Effective Friday 17th February 2023, patients (maternity and general wards) will be allowed up to two (2) visitors at a time. There will not be a restriction on the number of visitors permitted per patient, per day.
- Children from the same household / family are permitted to visit in the maternity unit and ward areas. We do request that children outside of the immediate family / household (e.g. nieces, friends etc.) visit when the patient is at home
- Visiting hours are ideally after 1.00pm until 8.00pm
- All of these measures will be reviewed regularly and may be adjusted at any time if the hospital deems it necessary to do so with all decisions made to best maintain everyone’s safety and wellbeing and minimise business interruption.
Importantly, we also take this opportunity to remind you that:
- A visitor must attend hand hygiene and maintain social distancing whilst within the hospital, this includes patient rooms
- A visitor must not visit if they:
- Are COVID-19 positive
- Are feeling unwell
- Are a close, classroom or household contact of someone who is ill (for seven (7) days from date of exposure)
- Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
Please be aware, Burnside Hospital reserves the right to change these restrictions at any time and with minimal notice.
Page updated: Thursday 16th February 2023
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Can I have visitors during my admission? |
Please refer to our current visitor restrictions in the general information section above. |
| Can my child / children visit me at the hospital? |
Yes, children from the same household as the patient may visit (general wards and maternity) daily, ideally between the hours of 1.00pm and 8.00pm.
We thank you in advance for your consideration, understanding and support. |
| Can I bring my child / children with me to visit a friend? |
At this time we would encourage that all children who are not from the same direct household / family refrain from visiting during the patient’s hospital admission. We will allow children to visit grandparents on the general wards, however they will account for one of the two visitors permitted at any given time.
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What happens if I get COVID before my admission at the Hospital? |
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 prior to admission, you must have a PCR test, isolate and await your results. Please advise your admitting doctor if you receive a positive COVID PCR or RAT result as soon as possible. For a list of all testing locations, please click here. |
| What happens if there is a case of COVID-19 within the hospital during my stay? |
If any patient exhibits COVID-19 symptoms during their stay, or becomes a suspected positive case, our hospital is very well prepared to manage them and their required care. This may include additional support, or a transfer to another hospital to receive the require care / medical intervention. The Hospital has a COVID management plan in place and under the guidance of a highly experienced Infection Control Team, we have planned for this situation. |
Community Resources for Further Information
We encourage our community to keep up to date with the latest information regarding COVID-19 from the following reliable additional resources:
