Information for visitors

*Last updated Friday 8 December 2023

Inside our hospitals we care for vulnerable patients so all visitors and patients should;

  • Regularly clean hands with hand sanitiser or wash with soap and water.
     
  • Refrain from eating or drinking in clinical areas.
     
  • Follow any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidance as instructed by staff while they are on hospital premises.


Face masks

  • If you are visiting for compassionate reasons and are displaying symptoms, you must wear a mask, please inform a member of staff prior to visiting.
     
  • If you are visiting a patient who has a suspected or confirmed respiratory infection, you must wear a mask but will be guided by clinical staff upon arrival. 


Masks are available at dispenser points throughout our hospitals and near all entrances, and sanitiser outlets are located across our hospitals. Staff will advise you on areas where you need to wear a mask if you are not sure.


Please do not enter our hospitals if;

  • You have had any of the following symptoms in the last 10 days: A new continuous dry cough, a high temperature, a loss of or change in your normal sense of taste or smell, cold like symptoms (coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose), diarrhoea or vomiting.
     
  • You must not visit if you have been in contact with a known Covid-19, Influenza or diarrhoea or vomiting case in the past 10 days.
     

Adult inpatient wards

  • Two visitors will be able to attend during dedicated visiting hours. Each ward has its own visiting schedule. You can review visiting hours for each ward here >  or speak directly to the ward caring for your loved one.
     
  • Please do not eat or drink whilst in the ward.  
     

Outpatients and diagnostics

  • Patients can bring someone to accompany them.
     

Emergency Department

  • Any patient attending A&E can bring someone for support. Please note, if the department becomes crowded and unsafe, the supporter may be asked to leave.
     

Children and young people

  • CED: To maintain safety and reduce overcrowding, only 1 parent/carer to attend, no siblings. It may be that if you arrive with siblings and more than 1 parent/carer you will be asked to leave. There may be exceptions where both parents will be able to attend.  
     
  • PAU: Up to two parents or carers per patient. No siblings.
     
  • Outpatients: Up to two parents or carers per patient. No siblings.
     
  • Sunflower (Electives) Up to two parents/carers.
     
  • Paediatric wards: Each patient will be allowed up to two parent/carer visitors during the day with one parent/carer able to remain overnight. 
     
  • Neonatal Unit: Parents, siblings, and grandparents have open access to the unit (a parent must be present unless advised otherwise). A maximum of 3 per cot side of which 1 must be a parent (siblings not included in this number).


Maternity

  • Labour ward: two birth partners throughout labour and birth.
     
  • Inpatient antenatal ward: one support partner may have open visiting until 10pm. There can be up to two additional visitors from 2pm-4pm, and from 6pm-8pm daily.
     
  • Postnatal inpatients: one support partner may have open visiting and can stay overnight. There can be up to two additional visitors from 2pm-4pm, and from 6pm-8pm daily.
     
  • Siblings are permitted to visit but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Any other children under 12 are not permitted on the ward.
     
  • Antenatal Clinics, Fetal Medicine and Ultrasound scan appointments: one support partner.
     
  • Pregnancy Assessment Unit/Maternity Assessment Unit: one support partner.
     
  • Induction of labour: one support partner may have open visiting until 10pm. No additional visiting is permitted.
     

Patients with dementia, autism, a learning disability, or mental health issues coming into Emergency Departments and inpatient wards, as well as outpatient departments, may be accompanied by a family member or carer.


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.

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.

Preventing infections

We are committed to improving patient safety by reducing and preventing infections such as MRSA, C. diff (also known as Clostridioides difficile or C. difficile), and norovirus. You can help keep our hospitals clean and reduce the risk of spreading infection.


When not to come into hospital

Please do not visit the hospital (as a visitor or patient) if you are unwell with:

  • cold-like symptoms
  • diarrhoea and vomiting
  • infectious diseases such as chickenpox, shingles, measles etc


Wash your hands

Cleaning your hands is the most effective way of preventing germs being passed from one person to another. Wash you hands with soap and water:

  • after visiting the toilet
  • before and after eating food
  • before and after visiting a patient

Alcohol gel dispensers are by most beds and at the entrances of all wards for staff, patients and visitors to use.


Report an issue

If you see an area that is need of cleaning, please report it to member of staff.

Smoking

Smoking tobacco and cigarettes at any of our hospitals is not allowed.  This applies to all patients, visitors and staff.

Whilst you are here, please do not smoke anywhere inside or outside our hospital buildings. 

If you are a patient at UHDB and you would like support to stop smoking, please speak to your clinical team. We can also talk to you about the options for helping you if you need to stay in hospital.
 

Get free support to quit

Call the free Smokefree National Helpline to speak to a trained adviser:

Telephone: 0300 123 1044


All lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

You can also find all the information and free resources you need to help you quit on the NHS Smokefree website.

Get information to help you stop smoking (opens in new window) >

Mealtimes

We understand that mealtimes are important. The 'protected mealtime' service is a period over lunch time when all non-urgent activity on the ward, including visiting, stops (all essential and urgent care needs will continue to be met).

This is done to prevent unnecessary interruptions to mealtimes and enable the healthcare team to be available to help serve food and give assistance to patients who require it. It also creates a more relaxed and calm atmosphere, giving patients time to socialise and enjoy their meal with fewer distractions on the ward.

If you normally visit at mealtimes in order to help or encourage your relative/close one to eat, we are happy for you to continue to do this. Please arrange this with the nurse in charge.