COVID-19 advice

Last updated: 29th April 2021

Since receiving news of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have followed all UK Government and Public Health England guidelines and best practice to ensure everyone at the Hospice and across our other sites are protected as much as possible.

Our main priority will always be keeping our patients, their relatives, friends, our staff, volunteers and the wider community safe.

We have taken significant steps to mitigate the risk of anyone visiting LOROS contracting COVID-19. However, to be transparent this does not mean there is no risk of catching COVID-19 as a result of coming to the Hospice site.

Information about our services

Many of our services are being delivered differently during these challenging times, please see the below information on specific service delivery:

· We will continue to operate our 31-bed Ward, but with restrictions on visitors (please see ‘Information for visitors’ below)

· We will offer over-the-phone or video Counselling sessions, instead of these taking place at the Hospice.

· We will offer over-the-phone support and advice to our Day Therapy patients, instead of bringing patients and family members into the Hospice. We’ll phone all new referrals and current patients.

· From 30th March a small number of patients will be attending our Day Therapy service Tuesday to Friday, following national guidance including appropriate social distancing and the wearing of face covering. All other patients will receive over-the-phone support and advice.
We are now also offering Day Therapy virtual sessions for themed reminiscing, conversation and exercise. These sessions are also open to those who were attending our well-being drop-in on Tuesdays.
We are welcoming new referrals to the day therapy service for face to face attendance and for the virtual sessions.

· All Lymphoedema and Outpatient appointments will be assessed by the appropriate clinician to identify individual patient’s needs and a member of staff will then call you to discuss the options and if you need to be seen this will be either phone call, via video link or at the hospice.

· We will offer over-the-phone Home Visiting service support, instead of a member of the team or a volunteer visiting you in your home.

· Our Community Nurse Specialist team will contact you prior to visiting, and will provide advice over the phone and if you need to be seen this will be via video link or in your homes as required.

Information for visitors

A COVID-safe environment

The Hospice continues to review the latest guidance and practices available to ensure a COVID-safe environment for everyone.

If you are visiting a patient on our Ward (please see the restrictions below), please note the guidance for how to move around within the Hospice. This is to minimise the number of people passing each other (face to face) in corridors.

Please can all visitors take note of the signage and floor markers which will indicate the direction of travel and please keep to the left if you are using the small section of two-way corridor.

Visiting patients

In light of the recent government announcement regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) roadmap following lockdown, LOROS has reviewed visiting times on the ward. In order to continue to keep patients, staff and visitors safe the following restrictions now apply

Visits to patients on the Ward

Visiting is limited to only one immediate family member at a time during two of the time slots below (this may be the same or a different family member each visit):

2.00pm – 3.00pm

3.30pm – 4.30pm

6.00pm – 7.00pm

This can be different people each day, but is restricted to immediate family only. Please can families help us to manage this by relaying this message to their wider family members and friends.

In the last days of life, staff will discuss increased visiting whenever possible. A maximum of four immediate family members can visit each day, but only two at any one time. The maximum time for visiting per day is 4 hours which can be split into two 2 hour slots to enable up to four immediate family members to visit.

Visitors will be asked to stay in the patient’s room or next to the patient’s bed in the bays during the duration of their visit. Staff will provide information regarding the use of toilets and accessing refreshments.

If a patient has suspected or confirmed COVID-19 visiting is not allowed. (Immediate family members can have one visit in the last days of life).

Virtual visiting can be offered via a smart phone or iPad.

We appreciate that this is very difficult for patients and their families but these restrictions are in place to protect patients and staff from the consequence of this potentially life threatening virus.

*Immediate family members are – partners, parents, siblings, children (younger children and grandparents with agreement).

Visitors to all patients

All visitors will be asked to wear the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout their visit. All communal areas of the Hospice are currently closed. If you are participating in Lateral Flow Testing, you are encouraged to perform this prior to your visit.

We must stress the importance of everyone adhering to these requirements to help us to keep our patients safe and also help protect the staff caring for them.

If you have any concerns, please raise these with a member of the Ward team.

You will not be able to visit if:-

- You have had a positive Coronavirus (COVID-19) test in the last 10 days

- You display any symptoms of COVID-19:

  • A new continuous cough

  • Temperature above 37.8°C

  • Loss of or change in normal sense of smell and taste

- You live with or have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 10 days

- You have been contacted via the test and trace service and have been asked to self-isolate.

- If you have returned from overseas travel and been advised to self- isolate for 10 days

Additionally, the following restrictions remain in place:

  • We strongly advise against any visits from anyone with an underlying health condition or those under the age of 16 or over 70.

  • Visitors are only allowed to be in the patient's room and must not congregate in any other area of the Hospice.

  • All visitors must wash their hands on arrival and/or use the hand gels available on reception and at the entrance to the Ward.

  • All visitors must also practice the recommended safe distance of two metres between themselves, the person they are visiting, and the staff on the Ward.

  • All visitors that have travelled from outside the UK, or have returned from a holiday outside of the UK, must adhere to government guidelines with regards to self-isolation. Pease visit the UK Government website for up to date travel and self-isolation advice.

Support for relatives and Virtual Visiting

We recognise that these restrictions on visiting your loved ones during this time is upsetting and may cause some distress.

We would encourage where possible that you telephone, Skype or Facetime. We have equipment available on the ward that can be utilised if the patient does not have their own device. Staff can help patients to receive video calls if required.

It would be really helpful if you spoke to a staff member and a negotiated time could be agreed to facilitate this.

This guide will show you how to make a video call using a smartphone, or receive one using your computer - or help you explain how to do so to others. We think this is a great way for you to 'visit virtually' to keep in touch with loved ones and help keep everyone safe.

We are also happy for you to email your loved one using Ward1User@loros.co.uk

This inbox will be checked twice a day; the message will be printed and personally given and/or read out to your relative. If a reply is requested we will help with this. Please remember that messages will be accessed and read by our staff, and it is not a private inbox.

If you feel that it would be helpful to receive some extra support during this challenging time, please talk to one of our ward nurses who can make a referral on your behalf to either a member of our counselling team or chaplaincy team.

Thank you for your support and understanding during a very challenging time for all of us.

Other visitors to the Hospice

Visiting the Hospice chapel and Memory Tree

We know that families and friends find comfort in coming to the Hospice to visit the chapel and/or the Memory Tree to remember their loved one.

In normal circumstances we would welcome this, and hope that this will be possible again soon. The current COVID-19 pandemic means that unfortunately we are unable to allow these visits at this time. We are trying to reduce the number of people visiting the Hospice to help keep our patients and staff safe.

We have been helping to keep families in touch with the Hospice by sending them photos of their leaf to mark special occasions and are in the process of developing a number of initiatives, to help you keep in touch as much as possible during these challenging times. We hope you understand the reason for our current restrictions and we look forward to seeing you back at the Hospice when it is safe to do so.

Visiting for education and training events

We have made the decision to postpone all non-essential face-to-face training programmes and events. We are exploring options where possible to deliver training virtually and will communicate these options with you as soon as possible. If you have any queries relating to your booking please email lpdc@loros.co.uk

Information for people wanting to make monetary donations at the Hospice

Now, more than ever before, we need the help and support of our community so that we can continue to provide vital care to our patients, and support their friends and relatives. Please can we encourage you to make all your monetary donations online at loros.co.uk/donate

Thank you for your support.

Information for ALL visitors

In addition to the above, please do not come to the Hospice if

  • you have travelled from outside the UK, or have returned from a holiday outside of the UK, from a country where self-isolation is required. Pease visit the UK Government website for up to date travel and self-isolation advice.
  • you have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of coronavirus.
  • you are concerned you have any of the symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

  • a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
  • a new, continuous cough - this means you've started coughing repeatedly
  • loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If you are displaying any of these symptoms, you should stay at home for 7 days.
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms.
This will help to protect us, and others in your community while you are infectious.

Please visit the NHS website for the latest information.

Information for fundraising event attendees

Latest published advice has strongly advised against all public gatherings over a certain number of people.

As many of our supporters will know, the fundraising work we do helps ensure that our patients and their families can receive the care they need, free of charge, at the time they most need it. A big part of this comes from people taking part in our events and the sponsorship they raise at our events.

We are currently in the process of finding alternatives for some of our upcoming LOROS events and will be updating all affected participants.

Please check our event page for up to date information. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time

We recognise how much these events mean to you; from every £1 you’ve raised in sponsorship, through to the weeks and months of training you have committed. These events and the valuable funds they raise are equally as important to the team here at LOROS.

Information about LOROS shops, accepting donated items and our collection service

All of our shops are now open. We are following government guidelines and have put the following measures in place to keep our customers and staff safe:

  • Masks must be worn at all times unless you are exempt
  • Hand sanitiser will be provided and should be used on entry to the shop
  • Social distancing rules apply

Find your local shop here.

Donating items

Our warehouses at Glenfield and Pullman Road, Wigston will be reopening to accept donations from Tuesday 1st June. Glenfield Road will accept donations 10am to 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Pullman Road will accept donations 10am to 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

LOROS shops are accepting limited donations – please contact your local shop to find out the latest advice at loros.co.uk/shops.

We will be taking:

  • Clean clothes
  • Bric-a-brac items
  • Small electrical items
  • Boxed toys and games
  • Computer games and consoles
  • Books

A few shops will NOT be accepting donations. These are:

  • Narborough Road
  • Anstey
  • Wigston (town centre)
  • Humberstone clearance shop

The contact details for all shops can be found here.

Our furniture collection service has re-commenced. You can find out more information here.

Shop online

We would also like you to consider supporting us by shopping with LOROS online where you can get lots of goodies and our eBay shop is a brilliant place for unique and special gifts.

We have approached the lifting of restrictions with optimism and hope. Our shops have been able to reopen, we’re working hard to get our events back on track and we’re excited about the ability to start fundraising in our communities once again. But, every day is still shadowed by the long-term and continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that your support has never been more appreciated. Your help enables us to be here, providing care for our patients and making a difference when it matters the most.

Information about the LOROS Lottery

To all of our supporters who play our weekly Lottery, thank you!

Your support is vital, now more than ever before! It means that we can continue to provide patient care and family support, during these difficult and unprecedented times. Our patients still need us!

We endeavour to make informed decisions based on official guidance and advice given by the Government. It is our priority to continue to provide a service, whilst keeping us all safe. Until April 2021 cash collections will be suspended, all players affected will be written to.

We’d like to remind our players that if you are due to make a payment during this time, you have a number of options:

Post a cheque
Made payable to LOROS Lotteries Limited, LOROS Lotteries Limited, Groby Road, Leicester LE3 9QE, quoting your name and address.

Pay/renew by card over the phone
Call us on (0116) 231 8430.

Pay/renew by card online
Select “I am an existing Lottery player” and quote your lottery number if known. Online card payment options are £13, £26 or £52 per number.

Pay/renew online by Direct Debit
Select “I am an existing Lottery player” and quote your lottery number if known, or call the Lottery office to set up your direct debit over the phone (0116) 231 8430.

New Player
If you’d like to sign up to the lottery as a new player, join us here.

Please note, the Lottery office will remain open, but with limited staff during this time. If we are forced to close, then the answerphone will be on for messages to be left. These messages will be picked up periodically. You can email us at lottery@loros.co.uk, this will be monitored during office hours.

LOROS Lotteries Limited is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 34543.

For more information

It is important that we take all reasonable steps to protect those using our services, as well as those working and volunteering across all of our sites. For further information on COVID-19, please visit:
The gov.uk website
The NHS website



We will continue to monitor the situation daily and will always put the safety of our patients, their relatives, friends, our staff, volunteers and the wider community first.