"Ward Covid Management impacting on therapy support"

Firstly, I'd just like to highlight that the treatment and care my family member has received in the Regional Brain Injury Unit in Musgrave has been top class.  The nurses, physios, OTs, psychologists, dietitians and doctors are a fantastic credit to the NHS. Their dedication, attention to detail, patience and kindness is like nothing I've ever seen before and I am in disbelief at how my mother has progressed and recovered since being admitted there.  I will be forever grateful for the chance she has been given to go on this recovery journey and receive this vital treatment.

In saying all of that, it has left me very disappointed that I have had to take to this website to air my feelings regarding the handling of the latest Covid cases in the brain injury facility.  As things stand, we are now entering week 4 of my mother having no visitation.  The first 2 weeks of no visitation, for me, seemed like a reasonable reaction as a patient on my mothers ward tested positive.  However the restriction to therapies being applied on the ward seemed completely counter active with physios and OTs having to think outside the box for my mother to progress, participate and hit her goals. My mother has tested negative for covid, has all her vaccinations, and her therapies, in most cases, take place in the gym or other rooms on her own with either a physio team or OTs. Therefore I cannot see the additional risk of contracting covid, in letting patients leave the ward to go to attend their individual therapies, especially when they are still interacting with the same people they would be in the gym and the various therapy rooms. 

On week 3 of this period of no visits my mother and others in her bay were allowed off ward to participate in therapies and we were advised on Friday that visitation would be allowed from Monday within Belfast Trust guidelines.  However another patient within my Mum's ward is now testing positive for covid and has been taken to isolation and visitation has been stopped and we are back to square one (despite no visitors and 2 weeks in the same bay).  I truly believe the way the ward handles these outbreaks needs a rethink.  We now unfortunately live in a world were Covid is not going away anytime some therefore I do not see how it is feasible to constantly restrict therapies to the ward, slowing patient progress, (especially when it results in physios and staff having to carry the equipment to the ward on a daily basis) every time an individual contracts it. 

My mother is now being told she will have to rethink her goals which I think is a clear sign that this is not being handled correctly. Her progress has now been halted, her mental health is suffering which is only going to lead to further slowing of her progress, and I can only speculate on the detrimental effect this has on the wider hospital operations, regarding bed blockages, increased waiting times etc. 

I truly hope what I have said here is taken on board for consideration.  My family, like many others have felt the effects of this pandemic and what this virus can do to people, so do not think I am not aware of its seriousness. I for one have no issues producing a covid passport upon entry to the site or performing a lateral flow test at the front desk.  I want what is best for my mother and her recovery, and I see no evidence that restricting therapy to the bay contributes to that.