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Hospital Visiting

General ward visiting times at our 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.

We understand the importance of visits from family and friends in supporting our patients' well-being. To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we kindly ask that visitors adhere to the current visiting guidelines. Please be aware that visiting restrictions may be implemented at short notice in response to infections or outbreaks, to protect our patients, visitors, and staff. 

Guidance for all visitors

  • Smoke free sites: all of our hospitals are smoke free, information to protect our patients, staff and visitors from the harmful effects of smoking, is available on our website.
  • 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 at the time of your visit, so they can assist you there and then. 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 use 
  • Viruses 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

Paediatric units 

  • 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, please check with the unit for further information
  • In the event of any infection prevention outbreak to revert back to only parents to be present on the unit with their baby

Maternity units

  • 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 births: We provide support for those wishing to have a home birth, please discuss this with your community midwife.