Covid information

Latest advice

For the latest updates on Covid-19 please visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
For the latest health advice please visit www.nhs.uk.
If you need help, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that will tell you what to do next.
As more and more people are vaccinated and lockdown restrictions gradually ease, it's still vital we keep up with all guidelines. Covid has not gone away. A useful video on NHS England's new public health campaign - Every Action Counts - has been launched to explain more.

Information for visitors

Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), we have had to restrict our inpatient visiting arrangements in line with national guidance. We know that it is important for you to visit your loved ones but we also have to have strict processes in place to ensure that we keep our patients, visitors and staff safe from the spread of infection. 

All visitors on CPFT premises must comply with infection prevention and control measures and keep to visiting instructions given to you by the ward manager or nurse in charge for the care of your loved one. This includes:

  • Wearing PPE, gloves, apron, mask (select as appropriate). Visitors who refuse to wear a mask (unless you are exempt) or adhere to the guidelines will  be refused entry to the place they are visiting. CPFT cares for some extremely vulnerable patients and their (and our staff) safety is paramount
  • Hand hygiene; soap and water or use of hand sanitizer 
  • Stay at home and arrange a test if experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19
  • Being refused visiting if the ward is deemed unsafe (alternative virtual contact can be arranged in the interim) 

We have produced some guidance in this document here: CPFT Visitor Triage tool V1 MA.docx [docx] 73KB that sets out some questions you need to answer before visiting your loved one at one of our wards. Please read this before making your journey. If you have any questions, please contact the ward manager, who will be happy to advise you.

Our inpatient wards/units are currently restricting all visitors with the exception of:

  • Visitors for patients receiving end-of-life care
  • Carer to support the patient where it is appropriate and necessary to assist their communication and/or to meet their health, emotional, religious or spiritual care needs - eg, dementia/anxiety/learning disability/mental health
  • One parent visiting a child/young person

We recommend that before you visit, you contact the ward/unit to discuss your loved one and arrange a suitable time for your visit and are able to discuss the unit’s visiting process and the process you will need to follow on arrival and before you leave the unit.

Anyone with a COVID positive test or showing symptoms of coronavirus (a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste) should not visit, even if these symptoms are mild or intermittent, due to the risk they pose to others. Please ensure that you follow this advice when visiting our units and wards as this helps to keep everybody safe.

Please continue to check our updates on social media and our website to ensure that you have the most up to date information as local guidance is changing in line with the national guidance.

Carers
If you are a carer, click here to find resources to support carers during the Covid-19 emergency situation.

Information for children, young people and families

Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) teams have compiled a series of leaflets and handy guides about coronavirus for children, young people and families.

They contain a range of information and useful resources about Covid-19, and advice how to talk to young people, understand how they might be feeling, and answer their questions during the pandemic. Easy-read versions of the leaflets can also be found below.

Resources for children, young people and their families during the Coronavirus outbreak.pdf [pdf] 762KB

Coronavirus young people mental health resource pack.pdf [pdf] 797KB

Coronavirus young people's mental health resource pack easy read version.pdf [pdf] 845KB

Neuro-development resources for children, young people and their families durting the Coronavirus outbreak.pdf [pdf] 762KB

Going back to school.pdf [pdf] 1MB

Supporting your child back to school.pdf [pdf] 589KB

Feeling anxious and worried.pdf [pdf] 3MB

Other languages
Translated versions of Covid and other leafelts can be found here.

Service changes

We are part of the national response in managing the spread and impact of the virus. We are working hard to provide mental health, community and social care to those who need it throughout this challenging time.

All CPFT services remain open. In order to ensure we can best support the acute Trusts, community Covid-related demands and the vaccination programme, many of our other staff have been asked to change where they work, how they work and the teams they’re working in.

This has enabled us to focus our resources on people affected by Covid-19 and those who need our help the most. This means that there may be longer waits for routine non-urgent appointments and referrals.

If this affects you, we will get in touch with you directly. Otherwise, please assume that your care is continuing as normal. If you are concerned about your own or a loved one's health, please continue to contact your care team directly.

To meet people's needs and look after the safety of our patients, staff and the public, we've had to adapt how we provide some of our services. Where appropriate, we'll be reducing the number of face-to-face appointments. Instead we will use video and telephone calls, which means we can continue to support people safely in their homes. 

Services may be running differently, but we are still here for you and are doing what we can to ensure you are supported. 

Call NHS 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice, but it's not a life-threatening situation. 
If you are in mental health crisis anyone can access support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling NHS 111 and selecting option 2 (in Wisbech call 111, then select option 1 and ask to be put through to FRS).

Call 999 in a medical emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Further advice and support for those struggling with their mental health can be found below.

Information for people with learning disabilities or on the autism spectrum, and their families, can be found here.

Mental health support

We are working with local organisations across the health, social care and third sector to offer support for mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 outbreak.

There are lots of helpful resources for people to access online. Staff at CPFT’s Psychological Wellbeing Service have put together top tips for mental health and wellbeing during periods of self-isolation and staying at home. There are some key steps people can take to cope and maintain a healthy balance and routine over the months ahead. For more information please click here.

Further support is available here:

  • Lifeline Helpline - Lifeline is a mental health helpline for people aged 18 and over living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The phoneline is available weekdays 11am-11pm, 7days a week, via freephone 0808 808 2121.
  • Samaritans - The Samaritans run a 24 hour phoneline, 7 days a week, via freephone 116 123. You can also email jo@samaritans.org and they will respond within 24 hours.
  • Heart and Soul Listeners - Providing listening support for people who are struggling during this time. 
  • Keep Your Head - A website that brings together all the mental health support available in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
  • CPSL Mind (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire) has launched an online wellbeing service for people over the age of 18 called Qwell - found here. Qwell provides a range of materials to support and assist people with their psychological wellbeing, including educational and self-help articles and peer-to-peer support via forums. Adults are also able to receive help from qualified counsellors via drop-in or scheduled online chat sessions.
  • Kooth - Kooth provides free, safe and anonymous online support for children and young people.
  • Centre 33 - Free and confidential information and support for children and young people can be found here.
  • Every Mind Matters - Tips and information on supporting your mental health and wellbeing can be found from the national NHS Every Mind Matters website here. 

Information for people with learning disabilities or on the autism spectrum, and their families, can be found here.

If you are in mental health crisis you can access support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling NHS 111 and selecting option 2. During the Covid-19 situation, you can still access NHS 111, option 2, but please listen carefully to the messages and follow the verbal instructions. You will get through, although it might take a minute or so longer than normal.

We encourage people not to go to A&E if they are in mental health crisis unless they require assistance for serious or life-threatening mental or physical health situations. 

Carers
If you are a carer, click here  to find resources to support carers during the Covid-19 emergency situation.

 

As a patient

As a patient, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support. 

Patient Advice and Liaison service  Contact the Trust