Kirstie Allsop takes aim at Welsh hospitals’ ‘wicked’ Covid restrictions

Television presenter Kirstie Allsop has taken aim at Welsh hospitals, saying they had “no business” still making use of “wicked” Covid restrictions.

Writing in the Telegraph the presenter of the Location, Location, Location TV programme said that Welsh hospitals were “particularly bad in this respect”.

Kirstie Allsop has become renowned for her vehement opposition to Covid-19 lockdowns which she said had impacted the mental health of young people and revealed a “mealy-mouthed gutlessness in people”.

Writing in the Telegraph she said: “Restrictions which limit the time you can be with a patient to an hour a day, by appointment and at a time which is set by the hospital, are frankly wicked, and the fact that some hospitals are still sticking to these rules is appalling.

“Welsh hospitals are particularly bad in this respect; one lovely contributor to our show told me he believed that the strain put on his elderly mother by being the only person who could go to see his father had killed her.

“Making the appointment, rushing to be on time for the measly hour a day set by the hospital and then doing it all again the next day was just too much for her.

“One day in summer I was filming in Manchester and I was on the telephone talking to a journalist about these restrictions.

“When I returned to the crew I apologised to my director for my absence and explained what I’d been doing, out of the blue he began to cry and told me that his grandmother had recently died alone in hospital because of this type of restriction in Wales.”

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‘Uncertain’

Her comments came as recent data shows the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in Wales is on a clear upward trend.

Wales reported 666 patients with Covid-19 on December 20, up 33% week-on-week and the highest number since mid-October.

In Wales, the ONS described the short-term trend for Covid as “uncertain”, with one in 55 (57,600 people) in Wales estimated to have the virus in early December.

Health boards in Wales have been gradually relaxing hospital visiting restrictions, however, visits at most health boards must be pre-arranged to enable staff to maintain social distancing in our wards and across our sites.

Visitors must also wear appropriate PPE. At times when Covid levels have been high virtual visits and phone calls have been facilitated within the clinical areas.