Visitors to West Suffolk Hospital and Newmarket Community Hospital will soon benefit from extended visiting hours, offering more choice and flexibility for people to spend time with loved ones receiving care.
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, has announced its visiting hours will increase from 1 April, expanding from 2pm-8pm to 10am-8pm.
Dan Spooner, executive chief nurse at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “When patients spend more time with their loved ones, it enhances the quality and safety of the care we provide - and usually gives patients a morale boost.
Increasing visiting hours will provide flexibility for visitors, help to stagger visits, and avoid the wards getting too busy or noisy. The evidence shows it should also improve the communication with our clinical teams by giving loved ones the ability to directly discuss care options - or raise any concerns - with the appropriate clinical team.”
The existing limit of two visitors per patient at any one time remains in place, and the additional flexibility given to carers, loved ones of patients receiving end of life care, and open access for parents and siblings of those on the neonatal ward are all unchanged.
The Trust’s maternity service will continue to allow overnight stays for birthing partners.
“We think our patients will really benefit from the change,” added Dan Spooner. “When our clinicians and families work together, we’re able to provide more personalised care.”
In light of the change, the Trust is letting the public know about its newly created ‘visitors’ charter’. The charter sets out what visitors can expect and what the Trust asks in return, to uphold the quality of patient care and maintain their dignity, as well as ensuring the Trust is a safe and pleasant place to work or volunteer.
Dan said: “Our charter asks our visitors to show respect to staff, patients, and other visitors, be responsive and understanding if requested to temporarily leave the bedside for essential care and cleaning, and to maintain the Trust’s smoke-free zone.”
The visitors’ charter is available to read in full on the Trust’s website.
The Trust values family carers and will enable visiting of named carers whenever possible - for example, for patients who have dementia, delirium or learning disabilities. Special arrangements are in place for the family and friends of patients receiving end-of-life care.
To help reduce the spread of infection, all visitors should wash their hands using soap and warm water or alcohol hand rubs before entering a ward.
The Trust also asks anyone to avoid visiting hospital if they have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting, or any other symptoms reflective of an illness.