Hospice closes to visitors after spike in COVID-19 cases

Earlier this week, The Prince of Wales Hospice, which is based on Halfpenny Lane in Pontefract, closed its doors to the public and supporters after there was a small, but significant, spike in the number of COVID-19 cases among patients and staff.

However, the Hospice continues to care for those patients who had already been admitted to our Incare unit to ensure that they receive the best possible care over Christmas.  Unfortunately, they will not be able to receive visitors over the festive period although, where possible, alternative arrangements have been put in place so that they can be keep in touch with loved ones. 

All non-essential Hospice colleagues will now be working from home.

The decision to partially close the Hospice was not one taken lightly, but was  taken to ensure continued excellent end of life care for our patients, who remain our priority, and to keep staff safe.

Senior managers will continue to review the situation daily with the view of re-opening the Hospice as soon as we can.  Meanwhile, the entire Hospice is being deep cleaned and a rigorous programme of Covid 19 testing remains in place.

We greatly appreciate the continued support of the public throughout these very challenging times.