Following the COVID-19 pandemic, planned surgery has been reorganised so it takes place on one of three “Pathways”.
These are designed to minimise your risk of being exposed to the virus.
This is important as it has been found that a COVID-19 infection after surgery puts you at a much higher risk of a poor outcome.
The different pathways are designed to balance the risks to you, with the impact they have on your work and family.
Your surgeon will help to advise you which pathway is most appropriate.
Click on the dropdowns below to discover more about the pathways.
For the full 14 days before your surgery:
If Shielding with a household:
If Shielding on your own within a household:
Seven days before your surgery, you will receive a welfare call to check you are managing to follow the pathway. You can switch to a Green or Amber pathway at this point if you need to.
Three days before your surgery, you will be invited to our second stage preparation clinic – this will take place in the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, in a clinic that will not break your isolation.
You must continue to self-isolate or isolate as a family after this appointment, until you are admitted to hospital
Your surgery will take place in a “Green Pathway” – where exposure to COVID-19 will be kept to an absolute minimum.
This is the pathway we expect all other routine elective surgery to take place on. It allows for less restriction during the time before your surgery, but at a slightly increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. The regulations on this pathway will change depending on how many COVID-19 cases are found in the community.
In the 14 days before surgery:
Seven days before your surgery, you will receive a welfare call to check you are managing to follow the pathway. You can switch to an Amber pathway at this point if you need to.
Three days before your surgery, you will be invited to our second stage preparation clinic – this will take place in either the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, or in University Hospital, Coventry.
You must self-isolate or isolate as a family after this appointment, until you are admitted to hospital. Please read and follow all the rules set out on the Ultra-Green Surgical Pathway after your appointment.
This pathway is for patients who either cannot follow the Ultra-Green or Green Pathways, or for patient who have been booked for surgery at short notice (less than 2 weeks).
There are no particular rules to be on this pathway, but you are strongly advised to follow the government guidance on social distancing.
You will not receive a welfare call.
Three days before your surgery, you will be invited to our second stage preparation clinic – this will take place in University Hospital, Coventry.
Your surgery will take place in an “Amber Pathway” – where we aim to minimise exposure to COVID-19 but there is a small risk of mixing with patients who have not been screened for the virus.
For information on the Pre-Operative Assessment Service please click here.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
Shielding Patients in very high risk for COVID Group
All people who have been identified as very high risk (requiring shielding) for COVID are in the process of being contacted by their clinician regarding their ongoing care. If you require a blood test whilst shielding as part of your care, appointment details including when and where your blood test will be carried out will be sent to you via a text message from SwiftQueue who manage our blood test bookings.
If you have regular blood tests and have been asked to have these, please ensure you have blood forms at home available; if you haven’t please contact your specialty to have some sent to you in advance of your blood tests.
Older People and Vulnerable Adults
People who are in the groups identified by the government as higher risk e.g are over 70 or receive a yearly flu jab, but are not in the very high risk (requiring shielding) group, can attend our normal blood test clinics. The blood test clinics and waiting areas have been adapted so that social distancing can be maintained.
Please check the locations on the map below.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.