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Maternity visiting at West Suffolk Hospital

We understand how important it is for you to have the right support around you during your maternity stay.

Our visiting arrangements are designed to balance family involvement with the safety, privacy and comfort of all patients and staff.

Please read the information below carefully before visiting.

Visiting times on the maternity ward (F11)

Main visitor

  • Each patient may have one main visitor with them 24 hours a day, throughout their hospital stay.

Children

  • Patients’ own children are welcome to visit between:
    • 2.30pm – 8.00pm

Additional visitors

  • Up to two additional visitors may visit at the bedside during the following times:
    • 2.30pm – 4.00pm
    • 6.30pm – 8.00pm
  • These visitors can be swapped during the allocated visiting slot.
  • Additional visitors are welcome alongside the main visitor and children but must be aged 12 or over.

Please do not attend the maternity unit if you are unwell or have been unwell in the last 48 hours.

Overnight visiting

We recognise that having a support person stay overnight can help optimise your experience and support family bonding.

  • One person only may stay overnight.
  • Overnight visitors cannot be changed or swapped during the night.

We aim to provide the best possible care in a polite and respectful way and ask that visitors treat staff and other patients with the same courtesy.

Failure to follow the guidance below may result in visitors being asked to leave the ward. We operate a zero-tolerance approach to physical or verbal abuse towards staff.

Respect

To help maintain a calm and comfortable environment for everyone, we ask overnight visitors to:

  • Remain fully clothed at all times, including wearing shirts and shoes
  • Respect the privacy and dignity of all patients
  • Keep phones and electronic devices on silent between 10pm and 7am
  • Keep noise to a minimum at all times
  • If you smoke, please consider using nicotine replacement therapy, as leaving the ward overnight can be disruptive to other patients

Safety

For everyone’s safety:

  • Do not sleep in patient beds
  • Keep floor space clear of all belongings
  • Babies must remain on the ward at all times, unless they are being transferred to the neonatal unit
  • Leaving the ward overnight should be kept to a minimum – staff may ask you to wait until normal visiting hours to return
  • Physical or verbal abuse towards staff will not be tolerated

Protecting patients and staff

  • Wash your hands regularly
  • If you feel unwell, please go home and allow someone else to stay instead
  • Visitors must not sit or lie on patient beds – chairs are provided
  • Do not touch or unplug any medical equipment
  • If you need assistance, please ask staff and be patient and kind

Facilities for visitors

Please note:

  • Visitors should use the visitors’ toilet opposite the Transitional Care Bay
  • Showers are for patient use only
  • Normal parking charges apply
  • We are unable to provide pillows or blankets for visitors
  • We cannot provide food or hot drinks to visitors