A hospital has started a scheme to help patients stay in touch with loved ones.

Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham is encouraging people to send in messages to patients currently being treated by them.

Visiting hours at the hospital in Windmill Road have been scrapped except in some circumstances.

Their Messages for Loved Ones campaign has already seen more than 70 messages, photos and words of comfort sent in and delivered to patients since it was launched earlier this week.

Lyndsay Barrow, Medway NHS Foundation Trust patient experience manager, said: “It’s great to see that our patients are really benefitting from keeping in touch with their loved ones this way.

"All the messages we receive for patients are shared directly by the staff caring for them, to ensure they know their friends and family are thinking of them.’’

James Devine, chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We thank all our patients and their families for the understanding and cooperation they are showing while temporary visiting restrictions are in place due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

"We know that it is a worrying time for those who have a relative or friend in hospital, but we hope this campaign will help our patients to stay in contact with the ones they love.’’

To send in your message, email medwayft.patientexperience@nhs.net with your contact details, the patient’s name, date of birth and ward, if known.

You can also send in messages of support for those working for Medway NHS Foundation Trust via the same email.

A similar scheme has been put in place at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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