Visiting information

We recognise the importance of connecting with our loved ones whilst in our care.

We ask for visiting times to be observed between 1pm to 7.30pm* seven days a week. If you are unable to visit the hospital during these times, please do speak to the ward team who will support you with alternative arrangements as appropriate. Please check with the ward if special arrangements need to be made.

Two visitors can visit a patient at any one time, this includes children aged 0-17 years. These do not need to be the same visitors each time. Additional visitors can be accommodated by contacting the ward team prior to arrival.

Relatives and carers of patients receiving end of life care, patients with a mental health condition, living with dementia or with a learning disability, can visit and support the patient at any time.

During your visit you may be asked to leave the ward for a short period of time if necessary to support effective care and treatment for your loved one.

*Some wards operate different visiting times including Maternity C23, Neonatal Unit, Paediatrics, Ward A1 - Acute Medical Unit and Accident and Emergency which are listed on this page.

Please also check the infection prevention information on this page.

Ward contact numbers can be found in 'Our services'.

Ward-specific visiting times

Please note:

• Advice against visiting will be provided, only when necessary, for example when there are concerns about safety. In these situations visiting may be temporarily suspended. Please call ahead to confirm that the ward you are planning to visit is currently open.
• Patients being cared for in isolation may need special precautions and staff/visitors may need to wear personal protective equipment. If you are visiting a person being cared for in an isolation room, or you provide hands on care to a patient, you should always wash your hands with soap and water as the hand sanitiser is ineffective against some bacteria. The correct hand washing technique is displayed on all soap dispensers.
• Please check with the ward manager that it is safe for children to visit. It is important to note that although children are welcome to visit they must be supervised at all times. Babies and young children are more susceptible to contracting and transmitting infections.

Preventing the spread of infection on the wards

• If you are unwell with any of the following illnesses you should postpone your visit until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have settled and/or you are no longer infectious and let the ward manager or person in charge know:
  • diarrhoea and/or vomiting
  • influenza or COVID-19 symptoms
  • contact with someone who currently has COVID-19
  • contact with someone with an infectious disease e.g, measles, chickenpox, whooping cough
• Cover any open wounds with a clean, waterproof dressing to protect yourself from infection.
• Use the chairs provided to sit on rather than sitting on the patient's bed. Do not place your feet on the patient's bed.
• Do not touch a patient’s wounds, drips, or devices they are connected to as this could contribute to infection risk.
• Use toilet facilities on the main corridors and not those on the ward. 
• Do not share a patient's toiletries, tissues or hospital equipment.
• Do not bring unnecessary items into hospital for your relative / friend. All personal belongings should be stored in the bedside locker help to maintain high standards of cleaning of bedside tables.

Thank you for helping keep our patients safe 

We know that bringing flowers is a thoughtful way to show someone you care, and we truly appreciate your kindness.

To help provide the safest possible environment for our patients we kindly ask that fresh flowers are not brought into our hospitals. 

Flowers and the water they are kept in can encourage the growth of bacteria and mould. For some patients, particularly those with weakened immune systems or recovering from surgery, this can increase the risk of infection. 

Flowers also take up valuable space around beds, make cleaning more difficult, present electrical safety risks and trigger allergies in some patients.

If you would like to brighten someone's day you might consider bringing:

•    a card with a personal message
•    a book, magazine or puzzle
•    chocolates or other treats, where appropriate (If you would like to bring in food from home, please see our 'visitor information' guidance on our 'Food and drink' page)

Thank you for your understanding and support. By following this guidance, you are helping us to create a safe, clean and comfortable environment for everyone in our care. Your support makes a real difference.

For more information visit Infection Prevention and Control.