• Patients & Families
• In-Patient Unit & visitor guidelines

Visitor Guidelines

(Updated on 16 August 2021)

Whilst government restrictions on Covid-19 have been lifted in many areas of our daily lives, we are still, at the Hospice, maintaining certain regulations to protect our patients, families and staff.  We understand that this may be frustrating for you, but we need to continue these arrangements until further notice and so we’d like to thank you for your patience and understanding. Verbal abuse of our staff will not be tolerated.

Our current arrangements are as follows:

• On admission to the In-Patient Unit, patients will be asked to identify up to four people to visit them during their stay with us
• Two visitors may visit together
• All visitors must have completed a Lateral Flow Test within 24 hours of their first visit, having registered their result on the government website and shown proof of a negative result to Reception, before admission to the Hospice. This is to be repeated every three days while they are visiting the Hospice. This link will advise you on how to obtain Lateral Flow Test Kits Regular rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) tests if you do not have symptoms – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• All visitors are required to wear clinical face masks at all times, including in corridors, shared areas and whilst in patient rooms. Masks will provided on signing in and need to be discarded in the yellow bin at the Hospice entrance.
• Please strictly adhere to the Covid-19 government guidelines and follow the hands, face and space rules at all times
• If you are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, such as a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change in your sense of smell or taste, or you are self-isolating, please do not visit

The same guidance applies to anyone visiting The Well. All patients and visitors need to have performed a Lateral Flow tests within 72 hours of their visit, and will need to show the result via their text or email to the service/person they are seeing.

Thank you for your support to keep us safe. These measures are vital to help ensure we protect our patients who are extremely vulnerable, as well as our staff and volunteers.

We will continue to review our visitor guidelines in line with Government guidance and we will relax restrictions further as soon as we feel it is safe to do so.

Our In-Patient Unit offers specialist, compassionate care

Things may feel a little different as we face the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but rest assured, we are still here to continue to care for you or loved one,  24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In our In-Patient Unit (IPU) we deliver personalised care to suit your individual needs and we take the time to find out what’s important to you. Our highly trained, compassionate specialists are here to help relieve your symptoms, keep you as active as you can manage, keep you comfortable and help relieve any pain.

You will stay in one of our 15 private bedrooms that are light and airy and may even overlook the beautiful Willen Lake. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing. Our doctors and nurses are known by their first names. They’ll  look after you, with back up from our housekeeping and catering team who cook delicious meals on site. We also have a team of dedicated, caring volunteers who help across the whole unit. Please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01908 663636 if you need support or information.

Being referred

You or your loved one can be referred to a Willen Hospice service by any healthcare professional, including a GP, Hospital Consultant, District Nurse or Social Services from Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

If you’re an adult over 18, with a life limiting illness, you may be referred to us for specialist complex symptom control, including pain relief and management of distressing symptoms that are a result of your illness or treatment. You can be referred to either our In-Patient Unit or Willen at Home team, if you prefer to receive care in your own surroundings. Our calm, compassionate care is centred around your needs and those close to you.

Download our Referral & Admissions Policy below, for guidance on accessing all of our services. If you are a medical professional, find out how to refer your patient to Willen Hospice.

Advice Line

This telephone advice line is for clinical matters only and is to support patients, relatives and professionals outside office hours and at weekends. You can contact the team on: 01908 306962. It is a telephone advice line only and we regret that we are unable to go out and visit patients. There is an option to leave a message and someone will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

If you feel you need to be seen in an emergency out of hours, we advise you to call 999.

Your stay

The Hospice is set alongside the stunning location of Willen Lake. The view can be enjoyed from our Lakeview Room, where comfy sofas, tea & coffee making facilities and binoculars are available.

Visitors

There are no set visiting hours. Your friends and loved ones can visit and stay as long as they want to within our specified Covid-19 requirements.

Our gardens are beautiful and tranquil, with paths and several benches. They are available for patients and visitors to use throughout the year.

Each room is well-equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment to ensure you are comfortable and pain-free.
The rooms include a television with built-in DVD player that can receive both television and radio channels. You are welcome to use one of our CD players to listen to music. A selection of newspapers are delivered daily. Free WiFi is available throughout our Hospice.

Family room

Our In-Patient Unit has one family room where your family and loved ones can stay overnight. To find out the availability of the family room, please call 01908 663636 or email reception@willen-hospice.org.uk

We are also happy for your loved one to stay in your room, next to your bed. Please do not hesitate to ask about this.

Advance Care Planning

Well laid plans can give you and your loved ones peace of mind. You can record your wishes for your future or end of life care in an Advance Care Plan which others can refer to if they need to make decisions on your behalf.