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General visiting

Maternity visiting guidance here.

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

We know it is important for our patients to receive visits from their loved ones. As a Health Board, we expect the support and respect of our visitors to maintain the safety of our patients by following the visiting measures in place at the time.

Visiting restrictions may be re-introduced at short notice if there are infections or outbreaks on the wards, for the safety of our patients, visitors and staff.

Visiting times

Hospital visiting hours at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd vary between 10am and 8pm. Please check directly with the ward or department for specific visiting availability and times. Visiting times may vary at community hospital sites.

When to wear facemasks

It is no longer a requirement for staff, patients and visitors to wear a face mask on health board premises, including both public and clinical areas, except for the following instances:

  • Facemasks should be worn in settings where patients are at high risk of infection due to immunosuppression e.g. oncology or haematology.
  • Inpatients with a suspected or confirmed Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) e.g. COVID-19, Flu should be provided with a facemask on admission. This should be worn in multi-bedded bay and communal areas e.g. waiting areas for diagnostics.
  • Inpatients with suspected or confirmed ARI in a single room are not required to wear a facemask unless a visitor enters, or there is a need to keep the room door open.
  • Patients with a suspected or confirmed ARI transferring to another care area should wear a facemask.  
  • Outpatient with a suspected or confirmed ARI should wear a facemask/covering and should be offered a mask on arrival.

Patients that are not suspected or confirmed ARI are not required to wear a facemask unless it is their personal choice to continue, or they are cared for in settings where patients are at high risk of infection due to immunosuppression e.g. oncology or haematology.

Visitors accompanying patients to appointments are not routinely required to wear a facemask unless this is their personal preference or there is an outbreak in the area being visited. 

General visiting arrangements

  • Visitors do not require individual screening or triaging in most areas.
  • Please follow the rules on hand hygiene. Clean your hands with alcohol rub or soap and water as soon as you enter the hospital. Clean them again if you touch surfaces, such as door handles, and again before you touch anything belonging to a patient or surfaces they would use.
  • If visitors are attending a patient with an infection or a care area with infectious patients, they 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.
  • 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.
  • Visitors are asked not to attend if they, or members of their household, have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or flu.
  • Visitors are asked not to attend if they, or other members of their household, have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting suggestive of a tummy bug / norovirus in the last 72 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 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.
  • 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 as outlined below.
    • The decision regarding the number of visitors is at the discretion of the Ward Manager.
    • Please check with the Ward / Department for visiting availability and times.

Paediatric services visiting guidance

Parents when present with their baby or child/young person as an inpatient will no longer be asked to provide evidence of a negative LFD test. If a parent has Covid symptoms or confirmed Covid-19 this needs to be highlighted to the nurse in charge straight away.

Additional Paediatric services Visiting Guidance to all visitors:

  • 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
  • All visitors must follow advice and guidance from staff
  • All visitors must follow good hand hygiene and washing of hands, including the use of the alcohol gel provided on the ward/ unit
  • All visitors must follow good respiratory hygiene – ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it approach’
  • All visitors must keep personal items to a minimum and on person at all times
  • Engage with staff and share any concerns you have so that we can find a resolution.
  • Face masks available for staff and parents if they choose to wear them
  • The situation in any health care setting can change rapidly. For the safety of our patients, visitors and staff restrictions may be re-introduced at short notice. We will continue to be informed by community transmission rates, Covid-19 admission numbers, hospital outbreaks, Infection Prevention Control Policy and local risk assessments.

Neonatal

  • Any parent suspected or confirmed to be Covid positive cannot visit until the isolation period is completed and LFT is negative.
  • If the parent cannot attend the Neonatal unit due to being Covid positive 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
  • Face masks available for staff and parents if they choose to wear them
  • In the event of any infection prevention outbreak to revert back to only parents to be present on the unit with their baby.

Patient Advice and Liaison Support Service (PALS)

Our Patient Advice and Liaison Support Service (PALS) is here to help you. Our PALS Officers will do their best to resolve issues quickly and directly with the staff concerned. If you have an enquiry about visiting restrictions or a concern about a friend or relative who has been admitted, please contact PALS (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday except Bank holidays).