PEOPLE have been told not to travel to Hereford County Hospital to join in with the weekly Clap For Our Carers event after a backlash on social media.

The Wye Valley NHS Trust has said that while it appreciates the gesture, the number of people attending the hospital premises means social distancing cannot be maintained.

Crowds of people were pictured outside the hospital at 8pm last night, with Trust staff joined by paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service, a convoy of recovery trucks and members of the wider public.

READ MORE: Recovery trucks join in at Hereford hospital

Hundreds of comments left on a video shared by the Hereford Times on Facebook slammed the decision for people to make the non-essential journey to the county hospital to take part in the weekly event.

The campaign encourages people to clap every Thursday at 8pm on their doorsteps, balconies, or in their gardens or inside their houses, to show appreciation to the NHS and other workers on the frontline.

"The outpouring of thanks for NHS workers has been humbling and encouraging to Wye Valley NHS Trust staff," a spokesperson said.

"During these times of crisis it means the world to staff on the frontline and all those supporting the Trust's response to see the level of appreciation for the work they are doing.

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They added: "The level of support shown on Thursday evenings on the County Hospital site has grown massively and in many ways has become a victim of its own success.

"The confined nature of the site means the number of people turning up are actually contravening the very social distancing measures the Trust is working hard to sustain and promote and which are playing a key role in the nation's battle with coronavirus.

"While nurses and doctors have been standing on pavement and road markings two metres apart, the many visitors to the site are unable to maintain these distances because of the sheer numbers and lack of space.

"On that basis, the Trust is regrettably having to ask that while it appreciates the show of support for its staff, it is asking that people show their support by clapping, banging saucepans and singing on their own doorsteps rather than on the hospital's.

"This is a difficult message, but those who have seen the videos of the recent Thursday events at the County Hospital site will understand this is a right call to make."

Advice from the Government remains the same as at the start of the lockdown on March 23, that people should only leave their homes for a small number of reasons. They are:

  • Shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.
  • One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.
  • Any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
  • Travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

The Government also stopped public gatherings of more than two people, with exceptions including where the gathering is people who live together, or the gathering is essential for work purposes.