Visiting times

Find out about the visiting times and visiting information for our wards.

Please read before you visit

Our patients are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and our priority is their safety and the safety of our staff.

We regularly review our visiting arrangements to keep everyone safe.

Carers with carers passports can still support those they care for.

If you can’t visit your loved one face-to-face then we can help you to have a virtual visit.

Read more about preventing infection in our hospitals.

Visiting an adult ward

Visiting times

If you’d like to visit outside of our visiting times please talk to the ward manager before you visit. Please note that patients receiving end of life care and their loved ones will always have a compassionate approach to visiting.

View the hospitals section to find our ward directory to contact the ward.

Visiting information

Please note:

• Up to two adults can visit a patient at one time but this doesn’t need to be the same two people throughout the day.
• We ask that you please don’t bring children on to our adult wards.
• We’ll always try our best to let you spend as long as possible with your loved one but you may be asked to leave the ward so we can provide the best care and safety for our patients. 

Visiting a children’s ward

One parent or carer can be with their child at all times on the children’s wards.

Please note:

• Visiting on the wards is restricted to two visitors at a time.
• Please don’t bring siblings and young children (under the age of 16 years) on to the ward.
• In exceptional situations visiting arrangements can be discussed with the nurse in charge.

Visiting a neonatal ward

We do not consider parents as visitors. Parents are an integral part in their baby’s care and within the neonatal team.

We welcome parents to be with their baby whenever they wish, day or night. The baby’s siblings are welcome to visit, but in the interests of infection control no other children under the age of 16 years are allowed to visit the unit. 

Please note:

• Between 3pm and 5pm, a period of rest, referred to as ‘Quiet time’ is maintained on the Unit. Invasive procedures are avoided during this time to ensure growth and development for your baby.  During this period, only parents or a parent and a nominated support person may visit
• Visiting on our neonatal units is for no more than two visitors (non-parent) between the hours of 1pm to 3pm and again 5pm to 7pm. Please ask your nurse for the up-to-date visiting policy at the time of admission 
• We ask that parent/s are at the cot side with their visitor and do not leave them alone in the nursery.
• We’re unable to have visitors under the age of 16 years old on the ward unless they’re the parent or carer or sibling of the patient.
• We ask everyone in the nursery to follow our infection control guidelines. 

Visiting maternity

Visiting times

Appointments and scans visitor information

• Your partner or support person can come with you for scans and consultant appointments. We may ask them to wait outside if our clinical areas become too busy.
• Please come alone for any appointments such as for blood tests, glucose tolerance test, pre-op assessments.
• Children may attend appointments with a community midwife or doctor but unfortunately may not attend any scan appointments.

Maternity Assessment Unit (MAU) and triage

• You can bring your support person if you’re coming in during early labour to be checked.
• Once you’re in established labour you’ll go to the labour ward and your two chosen adult birth supporters can be with you for the whole of labour and birth.
• Please come on your own if your labour is being induced, or for any other procedures.

Labour wards

• Two chosen adult birth supporters can stay through labour and birth and until it’s time for you to go to the postnatal ward.
• Only one chosen birth support person is allowed for a caesarean birth.
• Two adult birthing support persons are allowed if you’re going to the recovery area after an assisted vaginal birth, caesarean birth or if you need any care in theatre.

Antenatal and postnatal wards

• Visiting times for the birth supporter is 10am to 8pm and for the second visitor/birth support 3pm to 8pm. The birth supporters must be the same people throughout.
• Your baby’s siblings are welcome to visit you on the antenatal and postnatal wards but they must be fit and well. Children over 12 years old will be asked to wear a mask if possible.
• We ask visitors on the maternity wards to stay with you and not to make unnecessary trips in and out of the ward.
• Visitors must leave on time when visiting ends.

More information on maternity is in our maternity section.

Supporting visiting at end of life

When a patient is ill enough that they could die within the next few days, it can be difficult to say exactly when that will be. Sometimes a patient dies very suddenly or unexpectedly. Please know that if you’re not there when your loved one dies, our staff will be and they’ll comfort them at all times.

We’ll always act compassionately for loved ones to spend precious time and to say goodbye. For end of life patients up to four visitors per day is allowed. The ward will arrange this with you. If any visitors have suspected coronavirus then the ward manager will talk with you to do all we can to enable visiting.

Our chaplains are available to help for spiritual, emotional or religious support during this time.

Other ways to stay in touch

As well as in person visiting we also encourage patients and visitors to use digital services such as Facetime, Skype, Zoom and WhatsApp to stay in touch with loved ones during their hospital stay. 

Our hospitals have some iPads and mobile phones that patients can use to keep in touch with loved ones remotely.

Messages for loved ones

You can send personal messages and letters to loved ones in hospital. Please make sure to include your relative’s name and the ward they are on and send your messages by email or post.

All messages will be printed and laminated for delivery to the wards Monday to Friday.

Thinking of you messages

Audio messages

We have a service for family and friends of patients in ITU at Worthing Hospital, St Richard’s Hospital and the Royal Sussex County in Brighton, called ‘WithYou’.

WithYou is an audio service for isolated patients that works by collecting friends and family’s voice messages and music tracks on a playlist. The patient can then hear the messages at their bedside.

Families can easily set up an online account and start collecting music and voice message contributions from friends, which are then sent directly onto the ward. Please contact the ITU ward sister for more details of the service.