Health board rejects Forth Valley Royal Hospital patient visit 'double standards' claim

A woman who was prevented from seeing her mother while she was kept in isolation for 14 days after attending a wedding insisted staff at the Larbert hospital couldn’t provide evidence of the rules they were following.

The woman, whose mum has late stage Alzheimer's, said: “There are double standards in Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

“My mum was allowed out to go to a wedding for two hours then returned and was put in 14-day isolation and allowed no visitors even though she didn't have Covid symptoms.

“They're making their own rules as they go along. When you ask for a copy of what they're working to, they can't provide it.”

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However, NHS Forth Valley says the matter was resolved in November in line with government guidelines.

A spokeswoman said: “We follow all of the national guidance on Covid-19 to protect the health of patients and staff.

“This includes guidance on hospital visiting and we continue to support essential visits, including for patients with dementia, autism or learning disabilities where the absence of a visitor would cause distress.

“All visitors are asked to wear a face covering throughout the duration of their visit unless they are exempt.

“Our staff always aim to be as flexible, caring and compassionate as possible in relation to visiting and we would encourage anyone who has any concerns about visiting to speak to the senior nurse in charge of the ward.”

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