COVID-19 safety measures at our health service
COVID-19 is still present in the community. That means we need to be careful about everyone entering our hospital.
Mercy Health has measures in place to protect our patients, visitors and staff from COVID-19. On this page, you will find information about your visit to hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes information about changes to a number of outpatient services, changed visiting hours, what to expect when you arrive and how we will continue to deliver the best care in partnership with you and your support people.
Please continue to refer back to this page in case there are any changes due to the pandemic.
Patients coming to our hospitals
If you need to come to hospital and you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19, you must call us before you come to hospital.
If you are coming to hospital for elective surgery and you feel unwell, you must contact the hospital before you arrive.
For general information about your stay in hospital, please refer to the Patient information guide by your bedside. Please let your treating team know if you do not have a copy.
Visiting hours and COVID-19 visitor restrictions
Visiting hours and COVID-19 safety restrictions for each of our health service locations are listed below.
Mercy Hospital for Women
Different areas of Mercy Hospital for Women have different visiting hours and COVID-19 safety restrictions for visitors. Please see the table below for specific areas.
For visitors in all areas of Mercy Hospital for Women:
- Do not visit if you have COVID-19 or you have been exposed to COVID-19
- Do not visit if you are unwell or have respiratory symptoms.
To help keep everyone safe from COVID, all visitors must:
- wear a surgical mask at all times*, unless specified for a specific department or area listed under the location headings below
- maintain a distance from others
- wash your hands.
*Visitors with a valid mask exemption must wear a face shield at all times.
| Area or ward | Visitor information and COVID-19 safety requirements |
| Emergency Department | Patients can have up to two nominated support people with them.
Children are permitted with another adult responsible for their supervision. Parents of a patient under 18 can attend with their child. Surgical masks are required to be worn. |
| Level 6 inpatient ward and HDU | Patients can have one support person visit between 10am – 8pm
Patients can have up to two visitors at a time during visitor hours (2pm – 8pm). Patients’ children are welcome during visitor hours (2pm – 8pm). Maternity patients can have their partner visit between 8am – 8pm. Exceptions may apply on compassionate grounds with prior arrangement. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge. |
| Birth suites | Up to two support people can attend at any time.
Children are not permitted. Exceptions may apply on compassionate grounds with prior arrangement. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge. |
| Special Care Nursery (SCN) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) | Parents and carers are welcome in the Nursery at all times.
A maximum of two visitors, additional to parents, can visit per week at any session. This is to limit additional visitors to the Nursery to two visitors per patient per week. VISITING HOURS:
QUIET TIME (Parents only):
Children under the age of 16 years are not permitted in the Nursery. Siblings can be present on Level 2 in non-clinical areas (i.e. Parent Hub and playground) with appropriate adult supervision. Visitors are required to wear a surgical mask. Visitors are unable to visit if they have respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms, or have tested positive to a respiratory illness. |
| Antenatal/postnatal ward | Partners can visit between 8am – 8pm and can stay overnight if you are in a single room. Partners who are unwell cannot visit the Antenatal / Postnatal ward.
Patients can have up to two visitors at a time during visitor hours (11am – 1pm and 6pm – 8pm). Patients’ children are welcome during visitor hours (11am – 1pm and 6pm – 8pm). Exceptions may apply on compassionate grounds with prior arrangement. Please speak to the Midwife in Charge. Quiet time is between 3pm – 5pm. Partners can be present. |
| Outpatients clinics/medical imaging/fetal monitoring | One support person/maternity partner can attend.
Children can attend by prior arrangement only. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge before your appointment. Children attending appointments should be accompanied by one parent/guardian |
| Day chemotherapy unit | One support person can attend at a time.
Exceptions may apply by prior arrangement. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge. |
Werribee Mercy Hospital
Different areas of Werribee Mercy Hospital have different visiting hours and COVID-19 safety restrictions for visitors. Please see the table below for specific areas.
For visitors in all areas of Werribee Mercy Hospital:
- Do not visit if you have COVID-19 or you have been exposed to COVID-19
- Do not visit if you are unwell or have respiratory symptoms.
All visitors must:
- wear a surgical mask at all times*, unless specified for a specific department or area listed under the location headings below
- maintain a safe distance from others
- wash your hands.
*Visitors with a valid mask exemption must wear a face shield at all times.
| Area or patient group | Who can visit |
| Emergency Department
|
Patients can have up to two visitors at a time.
Surgical masks are required. Visitors may at times be asked to leave the patient’s bedside to enable our staff to attend to patient care. Parents of a patient under 18 can attend with their child. Children are permitted with another adult responsible for their supervision. |
| Adult inpatient wards | Patients can have up to two visitors at a time during visitor hours (2pm – 8pm). Exceptions may apply with prior arrangement. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge.
Visitors may be asked to leave the patient’s bedside to enable our staff to provide appropriate patient care and privacy. We ask that all visitors work with our staff to respect this request. In general, visitors must wear surgical masks; however some specific areas may require that visitors wear an N95 mask. If this is the case, this will be communicated by staff in the relevant area. |
| Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU) | Patients can have up to two visitors at a time during visitor hours (2pm – 8pm). Exceptions may apply with prior arrangement. Please speak to the Nurse in Charge.
At times visitors may be asked to leave the patient’s bedside to enable our staff to provide appropriate patient care and privacy. We ask that all visitors work with our staff to respect this request. N95 masks are required. |
| Special Care Nursery (SCN) | Parents are welcome in the nursery at any time.
To arrange visits by children, please speak to the Nurse in Charge. Surgical masks are required. |
| Paediatric Ward | Parents are welcome at any time. One parent can stay overnight.
To arrange visits by children, please speak to the Nurse in Charge. Surgical masks are required. |
| Maternity Services – birth suites | Pregnant patients can have a partner and up to two support people attend the labour and birth.
If a pregnant patient has COVID-19 at the time of labour, a partner and support people can attend the birth. |
| Maternity Services – postnatal ward | A partner or support person can visit at any time.
A partner can stay overnight in some circumstances. Please speak to the Midwife in Charge. To arrange visits by children, please speak to the Midwife in Charge. Surgical masks are required. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Services – Clare Moore Building | Patients can have up to one adult visitor for up to two hours during visitor hours (2pm – 6pm).
Surgical masks are required. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Services – Community Care Unit | Patients can have up to two nominated visitors during visitor hours (10am – 8pm).
Surgical masks are required. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Services – Mother Baby Unit | Patients can have up to two nominated visitors for up to four hours during visitor hours:
To discuss visits by children, please speak to the Nurse Unit Manager. Surgical masks are required. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Services – Community Clinics | People accessing our community mental health services are welcome to bring family members, carers or nominated support people.
Surgical masks are required. |
| All outpatients | Patients can have one carer or nominated support person with them.
For patients aged under 18 years, one or both parents can attend with their child. For patients who have children, we encourage you to make alternative arrangements for their care during your appointment to allow best care and privacy, and to make best use of the Outpatient Department’s limited space. Surgical masks are required. |
Mercy Health Services in New South Wales
Our two NSW sites – Mercy Care Centre Young and Mercy Heath Albury – are guided by NSW Health directions. On entry, staff will discuss what is required for your visit, which may include screening questions to make sure you are feeling well before entering any of our facilities.
Patients can have up to two visitors at a time during visitor hours:
| Health service | Visitor information and COVID-19 safety requirements |
| Mercy Health Albury | Visiting hours:
For the duration of your visit, you must wear a surgical mask and comply with any COVID-19 requirements as directed by our nursing staff. |
| Mercy Care Centre Young | Visiting hours:
For the duration of your visit, you must wear a surgical mask and comply with any COVID-19 requirements as directed by our nursing staff. |
Interpreter services
Interpreters are still available to patients who need them. Interpreting may take place over the phone, video or face-to-face. If you need an interpreter, please tell your doctor, nurse or midwife.
Learn more about your right to receive appropriate communication about your healthcare in a way you understand. If you have any difficulties speaking or understanding English, you have a range of support options depending on your needs.
Additional resources
Last reviewed February 13, 2020.
