Hospice closes to visitors after spike in Covid cases

The Prince of Wales Hospice has been forced to close to the public and supporters after a marked increase in cases.
Murals were painted earlier this year to be auctioned off in support of the Prince of Wales Hospice.Murals were painted earlier this year to be auctioned off in support of the Prince of Wales Hospice.
Murals were painted earlier this year to be auctioned off in support of the Prince of Wales Hospice.

Earlier this week, The Prince of Wales Hospice, which is based on Halfpenny Lane in Pontefract, closed its doors to the public and supporters after there was a "small but significant" spike in the number of Covid-19 cases among patients and staff.

The hospice continues to care for those patients who had already been admitted to its in-care unit to ensure that they receive the best possible care over Christmas.

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Patients will not be able to receive visitors over the festive period although, where possible, alternative arrangements have been put in place so that they can be keep in touch with loved ones.

All non-essential hospice staff will now be working from home.

The hospice said: "The decision to partially close the was not one taken lightly, but was taken to ensure continued excellent end of life care for our patients, who remain our priority, and to keep staff safe.

"We greatly appreciate the continued support of the public throughout these very challenging times."

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Senior managers will continue to review the situation daily with the view of re-opening the hospice as soon as possible.

The entire hospice is being deep cleaned and a rigorous programme of Covid 19 testing remains in place.