Information for visitors

Visiting restrictions in our hospitals - updated Tuesday 4 August 2020

We've eased visiting restrictions across our hospitals so that each patient can have one visitor of their choice per day for one hour. There will be no set visiting times and the ward team will review each patient on a daily basis to establish whether they wish to have a visitor and who. Each ward will operate a booking system to help them oversee the total number of visitors in an area. Friends and relatives are advised to contact the ward to agree a designated time to visit.

Restrictions will remain in place for children and pregnant women, who will be unable to visit adult inpatients. Patients who are particularly vulnerable to infection due to their illness and treatment, or those patients who have been self-isolating in preparation for an operation may not be allowed but this should be discussed with the ward team.

All visitors will need to wear a face mask at all times during their visit. Visitors who are unable to for any reason should inform the ward to establish if there can be specific measures put in place for them.

All areas

All vulnerable patients, specifically those with learning disability, dementia, mental health or complex needs and those who are unable to make decisions for themselves, may be accompanied by their carers.

Each patient will be allowed one visitor of their choice for a maximum period of one hour per day.

Emergency Department

One person/carer is able to accompany the patient during their time in the emergency department.  

Children

Visiting is limited to one parent per day, who may choose to stay all day or for a short period of time, but there should be no swopping or return in same day. One parent is allowed to visit Neonatal Intensive Care.

Maternity

One birthing partner is permitted during labour as long as the expectant mum isn’t suspected or confirmed with Covid-19. The birthing partner will need to be wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and needs to be the same person throughout the birth.

If being induced, the birth partner can attend the initial admission and then return home while awaiting labour.

The birthing partner will be supported to stay with mother and baby in the recovery area on labour ward prior to transfer to the postnatal ward. Once on the postnatal ward, we would ask that the birthing partner returns home. Sadly, we can’t allow birthing partners or visitors to the maternity ward or attend Pregnancy Assessment Unit/Maternity Assessment Unit or antenatal clinics (all settings). For further details regarding Maternity services during Covid-19, please see our dedicated page.

End of Life Care

Visiting is limited to one visitor and in accord with the patient’s wishes, with those visiting wearing PPE. Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) will provide support if family members are unable to visit via phone or virtual communication (for example, Skype, WhatsApp) and will also act as a patient-family intermediary to exchange messages and letters.

Mortuary

We have taken the decision to restrict viewings only to instances where police identification is required by the coroner (in which case there must be a police presence). Whilst we appreciate the distress this may cause to families in the short term, the Trust must take measures to reduce the risk of staff contracting the virus, either from a patient or visitor to hospitals during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Please follow all of our infection control measures if you do come to hospital: 

• You should avoid coming to the hospital if you are feeling unwell, including with cold or flu symptoms 
• You should adhere to social distancing measures, staying 2m apart, staying to the left in corridors, only two people permitted per lift and abiding by the rules for going up and down staircases as per new signage at our hospitals
• We will ask you to wear a face covering on entrance to the hospitals. If you forget to bring face covering or don’t have access to one, we will offer you a surgical facemask to wear
• Wash or gel your hands as soon as you enter a ward or unit. Please ask the nurses about the additional protective equipment you will need on the ward.
• Follow the additional measures that will be requested by our staff if you are visiting a patient with an infection.

Further to the visiting restrictions in place, we are also providing chaplaincy and bereavement support for patients and their families of all faiths and none. A series of booklets with words from various different faith traditions have been created for ward staff to use at the End of Life. We have made arrangements for provision of Last Rites with families, but this may take place off the ward where necessary.

Contacting our wards

We understand that it is important to contact your loved ones while they are in hospital. Where possible, we encourage relatives and friends to call the patient directly or have a video call. Our sites have free WiFi which supports web browsing and instant messaging, allowing you stay in touch.

We also have in place a ‘virtual visiting service’, whereby video calls can be made and written messages delivered to patients from their loved ones which can be arranged through our PALS Team. You can find out more about this service here.

If you want to contact the ward for updates, we would be grateful if one person from the family can be the nominated contact, who then keeps the rest of the family and friends informed. This helps to keep our phone lines as clear as possible for other families who need updates.

We know that it’s important for our patients to see family and friends but please make use of the other options to stay connected with your loved one during their stay in hospital.