Croydon NHS services urge patients to wear masks despite Covid rules being lifted for ‘freedom day’

Croydon NHS services will continue to require patients to wear masks despite Covid restrictions being lifted today.

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, along with NHS trusts nationwide, will continue to require patients, visitors and staff to wear a face masks, wash hands and follow social distancing rules in healthcare settings.

This comes as the UK government has lifted all Covid-19 restrictions across England today in what’s been dubbed ‘freedom day’, despite a rise coronavirus cases.

Covid cases in the Croydon borough have increased by almost 60 per cent in the last seven days, and healthcare staff are currently caring for 38 patients affected by the virus at Croydon University Hospital (as at 16 July).

The Trust’s most senior doctor has today urged local people to continue taking every precaution to help limit the spread and help protect themselves and others from infection.

Medical Director and Emergency Care Consultant, Dr Subhro Banerjee, at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said: “For the past 18 months, wearing masks has helped us to provide care during the pandemic, and reduce transmission of Covid-19 to protect our patients, visitors and staff.

“It does not stop here. From 19 July, Croydon will keep caring for people with the virus and for many vulnerable patients, for whom catching Covid could have serious consequences.

“We will be asking our staff to keep wearing their masks and we need our patients and visitors to do the same to stop the spread and prevent people from becoming seriously ill if they’ve not yet had two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.”

Croydon University Hospital (CUH) was one of the first in the country to offer the Covid-19 vaccine.

Alongside GPs, pharmacists and neighbouring trusts, CUH has helped to administer 1.6 million doses of the vaccine to people in South West London, including more than 301,000 doses in Croydon.