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Visiting times

Information about having a support person with you and maternity ward visiting times.

Important advice:

Visiting times on our antenatal and postnatal wards

  • All visitors must be fit and well.
  • Birth supporter: Can visit 24/7
  • Visitors: 2pm – 8pm – please note:
    • Worthing and St Richard’s hospital ward policy – No more than three adults, including birth supporter, at any time, by the bedside.
    • Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospital ward policy – No more than two adults, including birth supporter, at any time, by the bedside.
  • Siblings of your baby welcome.
  • You may be asked to leave the ward if one of our patients needs urgent care.

Appointments and scans visitor information

  • Your partner or support person can come with you for scans and obstetric appointments. We may ask them to wait outside if our clinical areas become too busy.
  • Your partner or support person can come with you 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.
  • You can bring your support person if your labour is being induced, or for any other procedures.

Labour wards

  • Two chosen adult birth supporters can stay with you 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 in 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 24/7 and for visitors 2pm to 8pm.
  • Your baby’s siblings are welcome to visit you on the antenatal and postnatal wards but they must be fit and well.
  • 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.
  • Please help us to keep it quiet and comfortable for our babies and birthing families.

Maternity antenatal and postnatal ward policy for overnight supporters

Information:

Please note: 
Worthing and St Richard’s hospital ward policy – No more than three adults, including birth supporter, at any time, by the bedside.
Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospital ward policy – No more than two adults, including birth supporter, at any time, by the bedside.

  • You cannot swap with another supporter in the middle of the night.
  • Showers and bathing facilities are just for inpatients.
  • You must stay in your dedicated bay and bed area.
  • There are no meals available for visitors or supporters on the ward, nor beds or bedding available for visitors or supporters.
  • You must remain fully dressed at all times.
  • You will not be allowed to go off the ward after 11pm (unless it is to visit your baby on NNU/SCBU/TMBU).
  • Vaping or smoking on the wards or in hospital grounds is not allowed.
  • If you need medical help while you are supporting on the ward we will help you to access A&E.

Neonatal wards

We do not consider parents as visitors. Parents are an integral part in their baby’s care and within the neonatal team. Please visit our neonatal ward pages for full details on visiting us.

More information on maternity is in our maternity section.

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