Hospital extends visiting hours following feedback

People can now visit patients on all wards except for maternity, special care baby unit, paediatrics and intensive care from 11am to 8pm, following feedback submitted to the hospital.

Last winter, elderly visitors had been finding it difficult to visit late in the afternoon. It is hoped that the new times will help with this problem.

The change will also support the hospital’s ‘let’s do lunch’ campaign, which asks visitors to spend time with their loved ones during meals, which can often be quite a lonely time.

The extended times mean staff will need to carry out care or cleaning tasks while visitors are present and they should, when requested, leave the bedside.

Visiting times may need to be changed at short notice for instances such as outbreaks of norovirus, a sickness and diarrhoea bug that is most likely to affect hospitals during the winter months.

The hours of visiting will be reviewed in January. To view the times for all wards, including those not subject to the change, go online.