Adult Inpatient visiting
We know how important it is for patients to have familiar faces nearby during their recovery. Listening closely to your feedback, we’re pleased to announce a new open visiting policy starting from Monday 2 June.
Visitors are now welcome daily from 10am to 9pm, with up to two people allowed at the bedside at a time, provided this is clinically appropriate and infection control standards can be safely maintained.
To keep everyone safe, we continue to ask visitors to practise good hand hygiene and follow the advice of our clinical teams.
Please be aware that visiting times may vary in some areas, including elective orthopaedic and paediatric wards, to support patient care and recovery. Full information can be found below.
There will continue to be exceptions, including visits for patients receiving end-of-life care, with dementia, mental health conditions and those who require additional support including learning disabilities, or autism, where a visitor not being present would cause the patient to be distressed.
We understand the vital role families, friends, and carers play in healing. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Flowers and inside plants
Cut flowers in vases breed bacteria which can cause infection. Plants in pots can breed fungi (bacteria that cannot be seen) which can cause an infection. For this reason plants and cut flowers are not allowed on our wards.
To optimise post operative recovery, the Orthopaedic Elective Ward does not routinely accept visitors on Day 1 of surgery. Day 2 onwards, visitors can attend the ward from 6-7pm Monday – Sunday. Virtual visiting is encouraged in this area. Patients should be informed of the Visiting policy prior to admission.
A Birth partner/Support person can attend all antenatal appointments in the hospital and community. One birth partner/support person can accompany women for maternity triage visits, induction of labour and elective caesarean birth. Two birth partners/support persons can accompany a woman for all care provided on labour ward and the midwifery led unit. Maternity Services adopts an open visiting policy on Ward 23, however, to support patient rest periods and general hospital procedures, we recommend, where possible, that visiting for birth partners/support person and the woman’s children/siblings of the newborn takes place 8am – 10pm. To support dedicated time Inpatient Visiting Arrangements for the family to bond with their newborn we recommend that the wider family and friends visit 3pm – 7pm.
Paediatric services adopts an open visiting policy across acute inpatient paediatric areas, however, to support child development needs, patient rest periods, and general hospital procedures and meal-times, we recommend, where possible, that the below hours for visitors takes place.
Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU) Ward 16 Assessment Unit– Two parents or carers may remain resident with the child for the duration of admission.
Ward 16 Day Case Surgery – One parent or carer may be present.
Ward 17 – One parent/guardian may remain resident at all times. Second parent/guardian can attend the ward 9am-9pm. We request a maximum of 4 persons per bedside. Additional visiting times: Mon – Fri 3.30pm – 6pm Sat and Sun 12 miday-7pm including Bank holidays
Parents/carers of children who are critically ill may both remain resident on the ward and in exceptional circumstances additional visiting may be extended once approved by the ward on an individual basis. One parent/carer can be resident overnight, bed provisions is held on ward 16.
Elective Surgery – one parent/guardian to remain resident with child for duration of admission. If admission to ward 17 is required, ward 17 access applies as outlined above.
If a child has a carer as part of their care package that carer will not be counted in the 4 visitors. Management would consider and make provision for exceptional visiting arrangements.
One parent/guardian may be resident on the unit at all times. Parents/guardians, siblings and grandparents may visit at any time during the day when accompanied by a parent. Two visitors 5 - 6pm Monday -Friday, 10:30 – 11:30am & 5 - 6pm Saturday/Sunday. Visitors will not be permitted if displaying signs of being generally unwell (colds, tummy bugs, temperatures etc).
Please note that the number of entrance points to Leighton Hospital have been restricted to the following:
- Main entrance
- Emergency Department entrance
- Outpatients entrance
- Maternity entrance.
All other entrance points are currently closed to patients/visitors.
