Leicester’s Hospitals announce extended visiting hours

New parents and birthing partners will also benefit from the extended times.

Longer visiting hours are being implemented at Leicester’s Hospitals so that people get to spend more time with their loved ones when they are in hospital.

From Monday 18 March, new extended visiting hours will be in place across most of the wards and departments with adult wards allowing up to two visitors at a time between 11 am-8 pm.

Visiting hours in the Children’s Hospital will remain the same. 

New parents and birthing partners will also benefit from the extended times with visiting for two birth partners between 8am-midnight on maternity wards.

Family and friends can visit the maternity ward between 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm – with a maximum of two people at a time.

Julie Hogg, Chief Nurse, said: “We know how important it is to see and speak to loved ones whilst people are in hospitals, so as part of our commitment to delivering high quality, compassionate care for all, we're pleased to extend visiting hours across our hospitals.” 

 General visiting times for adult wards

• 11am - 8pm - Up to two visitors at a time
• Parents/guardians can remain with young people (16-18yrs) during the day and one relative can stay with the patient overnight.

ITU

• 12:30pm – 7:30pm across all three units

 Antenatal, Labour and Postnatal care areas

• Scan appointments: accompanied by one person
• Antenatal appointments: accompanied by one person
• Delivery suite: accompanied by two birth partners

Maternity wards

• Two birth partners visiting between 8am and midnight
• Two visitors each day between 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm. There can be no more than two visitors per bed

Neonatal unit

• Parents, grandparents, siblings, significant others (determined by a care plan) may visit. Due to limited space, there can be no more than two visitors at cot side.
• Where there are several siblings these numbers will be flexed to ensure families can visit together.

 General visiting times for children's wards

• Parents/guardian can remain with the child during the day and one relative can stay with the patient overnight.
• Only two visitors (parents / carer) maximum at cot or bed space.

Outpatients

• One person can attend with the patient for outpatient appointments

 Adult Intensive Care Units (ICUS) and High Dependency Unit (HDU)

• 12.30 pm-7.30 pm across all units, two visitors per bed space

 Emergency Department including CDU

• One person can attend with the patient in ED/ CDU
• Parent/guardian can remain with the child/young person during the day and one relative can stay with the child/young person overnight.
• At times when the emergency department is busy/crowded the hospital may request only one visitor (parent/guardian/carer) stay with the child/young person