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Visiting our hospitals

27 February 2025 - We are returning to standard visiting arrangements

On 6 January we introduced temporary arrangements for hospital visiting due to high rates of flu and respiratory illnesses in the community.

Due to a decrease in cases, on 27 January 2025, we returned to our standard arrangements for the number of inpatient visitors. These viruses are still having an impact on our services, however in recent weeks, cases have continued to decrease.  As of 1 March, we are returning to our standard guidance around mask wearing in our hospitals. This applies across all our hospital sites.

Patients or visitors should wear a face mask in areas where signage indicates, unless the patient or visitor:

  • is a young child under the age of 2
  • has breathing or developmental difficulties
  • experiences genuine discomfort or distress while wearing a face mask
  • is unable to remove their mask without assistance.

If you have flu-like symptoms or are experiencing diarrhoea or vomiting, please do not visit our hospitals. Contact NHS 111 or visit your local pharmacy. Only attend the Emergency Department in an emergency.

Helping us manage demand

If you need medical advice but it’s not an emergency, please consider using a different service to get the care you need.

You could:

  • call NHS 111 or visit the NHS 111 website
  • make an appointment with your GP
  • go to a local pharmacist

In our Emergency Departments, we will assess you as quickly as we are able to. If we feel you need to stay, we will aim to treat you as soon as possible, based on the urgency of your clinical need.

If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we will ask you to do so and advise you on the most appropriate place to go. If you then decide to stay, please be aware that you could be waiting a long time to be seen.

Please treat all staff with respect during this busy time. Thank you for your patience and support.