Visiting – general guide
All inpatients can have up to two visitors each day across all our hospital sites. Some wards / departments may still require appointments to be to booked in advance to manage the flow of visitors on the ward.
Visiting is at the discretion of the ward sister / manager, so please check in advance.
You may be asked whether you have any Covid symptoms or if you have had Covid in the last 10 days.
In summary, visiting arrangements are as follows:
- Two visitors per inpatient at any one time wherever possible.
- Visiting should be accommodated for at least one hour per day and ideally for longer.
- Visiting times can be flexible and at the discretion of the ward sister / manager.
- In outpatients and in the emergency department / assessment unit two people can attend with an individual if required, depending on space and capacity.
- Parents of children may visit together, wherever possible, including in non-paediatric settings, where some children and young people may receive care.
- Siblings may visit at the discretion of the ward sister, or at planned times.
Visiting times
Visiting times on most wards are 1.00pm to 8.00pm every day.
We know there are occasions when you may want to visit outside of these hours, so please speak to the nurse in charge to discuss your needs.
During your visit, you may be asked to leave the ward temporarily, for example, if a patient needs any tests or treatments.
Services with different visiting times are:
- Children’s services – 8.00am to 8.00pm every day and at least one parent can stay with the child (under 16 years).
- Maternity services – 8.00am to 8.00pm – birth partner, siblings and one adult visitor.
- Neonatal services – Open visiting for parents
Bringing children to visit
If you wish to bring a child to visit, please check with the nurse in charge. Children must be supervised at all times.
Protected meal times
We support protected meal times so you may be asked to leave at this time. However, if the patient you are visiting would benefit from support with eating and drinking, you are welcome to help with this.
Keeping patients safe
- Wash your hands or use hand gel on entrance to ward and when leaving the bed area.
- Use the chairs provided and replace them after use.
- Do not sit or lie on the patient’s bed.
- Use the public toilets which are available throughout the hospital and not the patient or ward toilets.
- Check with the nurse in charge if you plan to bring in any food for the patient.
- Follow any infection control guidance in place for the area that you are visiting.
- You can bring gifts such as fruit, sweets, books and magazines into hospital but do not bring flowers.
- Smoking and/or vaping is not permitted in the hospital or hospital grounds.
If you are unwell
Do not visit if you have an infection, such as a cough, cold, diarrhoea and/or vomiting.
You must be symptom free for 48 hours before visiting.
If you have respiratory symptoms or are generally unwell and still need to visit, please wear a surgical mask covering your mouth and nose.
Staying in contact
Virtual visiting can be supported outside of visiting times or during restricted visiting. Patients can use their own devices (please bring a working charger) and can access the hospital’s free WiFi.
The bedside TV provision provides free outgoing telephone calls to numbers starting with 01,02 03 and mobile telephone numbers.
Masks
Staff and visitors no longer need to wear face masks in all non-clinical areas unless it is their personal preference to do so. The change is in line with national guidance about the use of masks in healthcare settings.
However, visitors may still be asked to continue to wear face masks in many ‘higher risk’ clinical areas to help ensure we protect our more vulnerable patients or in wards where patients may be infectious.
Speak to a member of staff if you are unsure if you need to wear a mask. Please ask staff to wear a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable during your visit.
It’s also really important we don’t undo all the hard work of the last two years and ask that visitors continue to wash or gel their hands when entering ward areas.
Our guidance on visiting and masks is under constant review
