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Hospital Visiting

All of our hospital sites are smoke free: Information to protect our patients staff and visitors from the harmful effects of smoking.

Information on general visiting, maternity units, paediatric services and neonatal units.

It is important for our patients to receive visits from family and friends and we respectfully ask that our visitors maintain and value the safety of our patients by following the visiting arrangements in place at the time. Visiting restrictions may be introduced at short notice if there are infections or outbreaks on the wards, for the safety of our patients, visitors and staff.

Guidance for all visitors

  • Personal items: all visitors must keep personal items to a minimum and on person at all times
  • Feedback, praise or concerns: please discuss any of these with staff so they can assist during your visit. The Patient Advice and Liaison Support Service (PALS) can also help and you they can be contacted after your visit. Our PALS Officers will do their best to resolve issues quickly and directly with the staff concerned

  • Wifi: We encourage the use of our hospitals' free WIFI to keep in touch. Our Patient Advice and Liaison Support Service (PALS) can provide an ipad on loan for inpatients
    Hand hygiene: All visitors must follow the rules on hand hygiene. Clean your hands with alcohol rub as soon as you enter the hospital. Clean then again if you touch surfaces, such as door handles and again before you touch anything belonging to a patient or the surfaces they would useViruses or illnesses (Norovirus, Flu and COVID-19 as examples): Visitors are asked not to attend if they, or members of their household, have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, Flu or have had diarrhoea and/ or vomiting suggestive of a tummy bug/ Norovirus in the last 24 hours. If you do visit, you put the wellbeing of your loved one at risk and it also threatens the health of our staff, who will not be able to care for the population if they contract an infection

  • Visitors who are vulnerable and children: Visitors who are vulnerable to infections (due to their age or condition) should avoid visiting people in hospital. An individualised risk assessment and decision should be made by the ward manager in relation to children visiting.

  • Patients who have an infection: Visitors will be made aware of any infection risks and offered appropriate personal protective equipment. There may be some additional restrictions so please contact the ward manager for further advice.

  • Outbreaks: When a ward is closed due to an outbreak, visiting should only be considered under exceptional circumstances, such as if a patient is receiving end of life care has dementia or learning disabilities

Visiting times and guidance at hospital sites

Please check directly with the ward before your visit for specific visiting availability and times. Hospital visiting hours at: Glan Clwyd Hospital, Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd vary between 10am and 8pm. Visiting times can also vary at community hospital sites. We try to make our visiting as flexible as possible but there should be a limit of two visitors at the bed-space at any one time unless there are exceptional circumstances. The decision regarding the number of visitors is at the discretion of the Ward Manager.

Paediatric services visiting guidance

  • Both parents or primary care givers have unrestricted access during the day to stay with their child on the unit/ ward.(only one parent at night)
  • Siblings can visit however only 2 persons around the cot/bed space one of which should be a parent

Neonatal units

  • If the parent cannot attend the Neonatal unit they can nominate a person of their choice
  • Only 2 persons around the cot space one of which should be a parent
  • Siblings to visit alongside the parents to promote the BFI and Fi acre standards
  • Twice daily visiting times for extended family
  • In the event of any infection prevention outbreak to revert back to only parents to be present on the unit with their baby

Maternity visiting

  • Birth: Up to two birth partners can be present during active labour
  • Open visiting: A single birth partner or other nominated person if the birth partner is unable to attend, can visit the antenatal/ postnatal wards at any time between 9am to 8pm daily, no booking is required. Siblings of the baby are also welcome to attend along with the single birth partner or other nominated person during this time to meet their new family member(s).
  • Rest time: Between 12pm to 2pm we aim to give mums and babies time to rest and we ask that single birth partners and nominated persons who are in attendance, respect this time.
  • General visiting: General visiting is from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm (no booking is required), for up to two visitors at any one time at the bedside unless there are special circumstances. The limit on the number of people allowed at the bedside remains to protect our patients, babies, staff and other visitors. 
  • Established labour, attending theatre and emergency caesarean sections: Up to two birth partners can attend with their partner when they are in active labour. Only a single birth partner can attend theatre for an elective or emergency caesarean section. Children under the age of 16 will not be permitted in the inpatient area unless they are a sibling of the new baby.
  • Appointments: A single birth partner or nominated other can attend the following appointments: Antenatal Clinics in a hospital setting, Consultant Antenatal Clinics in hospitals and other community health care settings, all Obstetrics scan appointments (ultrasounds) also in hospitals and other community health care settings and the Maternity Outpatient Assessment Unit and Early Labour Assessment Unit
  • Home birth, update April 2024: We are resuming actively offering home births. we have worked closely with the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) to proactively reinstate the service after it was temporarily halted due to ongoing pressures on the system.

If you are expecting and have any questions or concerns about home births please contact your community midwifery team. They will provide support, answer your questions, and guide you through your birth choices to help you make the right decision for you and your baby.