Visitor policy

We have regularly reviewed our visiting policy during the COVID-19 pandemic to carefully balance keeping people safe and enabling families to be together. This page has our most recent visiting information and may be more up-to-date than any letters you have received.

We have some extra safety measures in place at this time to help us to protect our most vulnerable patients from the spread of infection and maintain safe services. Please read this information carefully.

We expect all visitors to our sites (including community) to:

Regularly wash your hands and gel. The nurses in the ward and departments will guide you with this.
Wear a mask if you are asked to, as this is to protect our most vulnerable patients. Children under 11 will not be expected to wear a mask.

Please do not attend any of our sites as a visitor if you are unwell.

You may be asked to take a rapid test for COVID-19 (lateral flow). If positive, you will not be allowed to visit.

Community visiting policy

Two parents or carers may attend appointments with a child.
We respectfully ask that siblings do not attend.
If you or your child have confirmed COVID-19 or have been asked to self-isolate, do not attend and please inform us if you are unable to attend.
Anyone visiting a community site that appears unwell with symptoms of COVID-19 or any other respiratory virus (a new continuous cough, a high temperature, cold or flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea, vomiting or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) may not be able to proceed with their appointment.
Staff visiting patients in their homes will wear masks in certain circumstances.

Hospital visiting policy

For children that need to stay the night, two parents or carers may visit at the same time. We welcome other adult visitors and siblings between 12 noon and 7pm.
For children staying overnight, only two visitors can be at the bedside at any one time. We ask that visitors swap outside the hospital.

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

There are specialist visiting policies where children are receiving intensive care, which will be explained by the team caring for your child. We ask for your understanding that there will be very few exceptions to the policy. When your child is stable, our team will discuss visiting arrangements with you.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

In our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, two named parents or carers are able to be with their baby at any time. Siblings and other family members may visit at allocated times, please discuss this with the nurse caring for your baby.

Reviewing our policy

Our clinical experts regularly review our visiting policy to make sure we are doing our best to help children and their families to stay safe and to keep as many of our staff as possible well and at work looking after children who need us. Although this means making some difficult decisions, it has worked well and helped to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

See all our latest information about COVID-19.

There have also been some changes to our entrance.

More information about visiting at this time

This information outlines what is expected of parents/carers to help keep our hospitals and community sites free of infections.

It applies to all visitors, including those who have been fully vaccinated.

Help us minimise the risk of infection to you, your child, our staff and vulnerable people within our hospital.

We are restricting visitors to the hospital and our community sites.
For appointments, two parents or carers can accompany a child.
For children who need to stay overnight, each child will have two named parents or carers on our system. Both named parents or carers can visit together.
Adult visitors and siblings can visit between 12 noon and 7pm. Only 2 visitors can be at a bedside at anytime. Siblings should be accompanied by an adult.

Before visiting

If you are in a high risk group for COVID-19 please do not visit the hospital. Call the nursing staff.
If you have symptoms of an infection e.g. fever, cough/ cold symptoms, rash, diarrhoea and or vomiting do not visit the hospital.
If you become unwell, phone the ward and do not visit the hospital.

While visiting

Please keep your child’s room or bed area tidy and free from clutter to help us to thoroughly clean the area.
Restrict your movement on the ward and limit the number of times you enter and exit.
You may be asked to wear a mask. If you are asked to wear one, the nurse looking after your child will explain how often you need to change your mask and will show you where new ones are kept.
Clean your hands frequently.
If your child has a suspected or confirmed respiratory viral infection, you will be expected to wear PPE as directed by the nursing staff.

When to wash/clean your hands

Clean your hands when you enter a ward, before caring for your child, and if you remove or change any PPE you have been asked to wear.
Wash your hands before meals or feeding your child, after visiting the toilet, and after changing your child’s nappy or helping them use the toilet or bed pan.
You can clean your hands with the hand sanitiser or wash your hands using soap and water.

Keeping you safe

Find out all about the extra steps we are taking to keep you and your child safe at this time.