Forté Health Level Two Update – 15 February

As the country enters Alert Level Two – and Alert Level Three for Auckland - Forté Health is reinstating its Alert Level Two precautions.

We realise this will have an impact on our patients and visitors, however we are committed to doing all we can to prevent the virus entering our hospital or spreading throughout our community.  Forté Health is a COVID-19 free hospital.  It’s very important for our entire community for that to remain the case.  That means we must continue to actively manage infection risk to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, contractors and suppliers.

Forté Health is following Ministry of Health and Canterbury DHB guidelines, and therefore under Alert Level Two the following measures will be in place: 

• Any patients who have been in South Auckland or a location of interest in the last 14 days will have their surgery deferred.  Please contact your surgeons’ rooms as soon as possible if this affects you.
• There will be continued COVID-19 screening of staff, patients, visitors, contractors and suppliers.
• We will be maintaining contact tracing procedures at reception and concierge.
• There will be a restriction on visitors – please see Visitor Information below.
• We will be adhering to social distancing guidelines and ask for your support in this.
• We are following standard infection prevention and control precautions.

Visitor Information

• Each patient at Forté Hospital must have only one nominated support person.  This support person may visit once per day during Forté Hospital’s visiting hours, which end at 8:30 pm each evening.  That visitor must be the only visitor for the duration of the patient’s stay at Forte Hospital. Please note: There is an exception for children, who may have both parents present.  
• Visitors will be screened and asked to provide contact details upon arrival.
• Visitors who are unwell or have suspicion of COVID-19 will not be able to enter Forté Hospital.
  

What does this mean for you, as a patient, coming to Forté?

• You will be telephoned by Forté staff and have a COVID-19 phone screen up to a week before admission and/or by reception the day before admission. 
• When you arrive for admission, please present yourself to reception.  Please ensure social distancing is maintained.
• On discharge, the nominated visitor can collect you from the ward.  If it is not the nominated visitor, the nurse can take you to the door or the car in a wheelchair. 

We want to thank you for your ongoing understanding and support during this time and as always, we will strive to maintain and deliver an excellent service.

If you have any questions, please telephone reception on 03 365 8333.

Keep well and stay safe.