Inpatient visiting

[updated February 2023]

Please do not visit any of our hospital sites if you: 

• feel unwell;
• have flu-like symptoms or a respiratory infection; 
• currently have, or had, diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours; 
• have been in contact with anyone with the above symptoms in the past 48 hours; 
• have an existing medical condition or are on medication that puts them at risk of infection.

We recognise the therapeutic benefits of patients receiving visitors and the contribution they can bring to overall patient well-being.  

Our visiting arrangements below enable our patients to have visitors while protecting their privacy and dignity, and ensuring they are cared for within a safe, secure and efficient environment.  

• Standard or core visiting hours for general wards are agreed as 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm.  
• Ward sisters/charge nurses/midwives in charge can use their discretion to facilitate visiting outside of core hours and in exceptional circumstances. 
• Only two visitors allowed at the bedside at any one time.  
• Open/flexible visiting is in place in critical and specialist care units.  
• Visiting ‘by appointment’ is encouraged to prevent overcrowding in a bay/ward at any one time and will be adopted when there is an increased incidence of certain communicable diseases in the general population, for example, COVID-19 or influenza.  
• If visiting ‘by appointment’ is in place, this will be communicated to patients and visitors.  
• Mealtimes remain protected as quiet times, with the option for visitors/carers to make arrangements with the ward sister/charge nurse to assist with feeding as appropriate.  
• Where appropriate ‘virtual visiting’ can be supported.  
• All visitors are advised not to visit if unwell with a gastrointestinal or respiratory infection. 
• Specific visiting arrangements may be introduced to prevent the transmission of infection, for example, during an outbreak of infection on the ward. 
• Please help us to prevent the spread of infection at all times and clean your hands before and after you leave the ward. 
• Flowers will only be allowed at the discretion of the nurse in charge of the ward or department. If allowed, they should be delivered/kept in a disposable vase or Aquapack. Our advice generally is to wait for the patient to be discharged from hospital before sending them flowers.

For more detail read our Inpatient Visiting Policy here (opens in new tab)

Infection control advice is available here (opens in new tab)