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Visiting information for parents and carers

We regularly review our visiting policy to carefully balance keeping people safe and allowing 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.

These measures help us to keep babies, children and young people safe, thank you for your understanding.

We expect all visitors to our hospital and community sites to regularly wash their hands and use the hand sanitiser provided.

We may ask you to wear a face mask.

Please do not visit any of our sites if you or your child are unwell with:

  • a cough
  • a runny nose
  • fever
  • diarrhoea
  • vomiting
  • a rash
  • an infection (for example, chicken pox, measles or tuberculosis)

If you become unwell while you're at hospital with your child, please let the nurse know as soon as possible. If you have flu-like symptoms (cough, runny nose, fever or body aches), please ask the nurse for a face mask and wear it until you leave the hospital.

Community visiting policy

Up to 2 parents or carers may attend their child's appointment.

We respectfully ask that siblings do not attend.

Staff visiting patients in their homes will wear masks in certain circumstances (for example, if a patient is unwell with flu-like symptoms).

Hospital visiting policy

Up to 2 parents or carers may visit at the same time. Only 1 parent or carer can stay overnight with their child.

We normally welcome other adult visitors and siblings between midday and 7pm, but there might be times when this is not possible. We'll let you know when this is the case.

In our emergency department, only 1 parent or carer should accompany their child. Please avoid bringing siblings, other family or friends.

Visiting policy in hospital areas with high respiratory virus cases

When there are increased cases of respiratory viruses we sometimes need to reduce the number of visitors who come into our hospital. This helps prevent viruses spreading in our wards and protects patients.

In this case, only 1 parent or carer will be allowed to visit a child or stay overnight with them.

Siblings will not be allowed to visit.

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

There may be different visiting policies in places where children are receiving intensive care. The team caring for your child will explain these to you.

Please note that there will be very few exceptions to these policies.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Up to 2 named parents or carers and siblings (brothers and sisters of the baby) are welcome to visit at any time. Siblings must be supervised by a parent or carer at all times.

Family and friends are welcome to visit, accompanied by a parent or carer of the baby, at the following times:

  • Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6:30pm
  • Saturday and Sunday, midday to 6:30pm

Family and friends are asked to wait in the reception area when not in the nursery. If there is no seating available in reception, visitors are asked to wait on the ground floor of St Thomas' Hospital where they can be called to come up at an appropriate time.

If family or friends need an exception to be made to the stated visiting times, it must be agreed with the nurse in charge in advance. They will consider the impact on the baby being visited as well as on the other babies and families in our care.

Please let the team caring for your baby know if a member of the family has an infection.

Siblings are not allowed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit if they have:

  • a cough
  • a sore throat
  • a runny nose
  • a fever
  • any type of rash
  • diarrhoea
  • vomiting