A NEW policy is increasing visiting hours for patients receiving care in hospitals.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s new open visiting times policy removes restricted visiting hours, offering increased flexibility for the families, friends and carers of patients on many wards.

The new policy, which is now in place, applies to all general wards across the health board, including Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Glan Clwyd Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd.

The policy means that scheduled visiting are no longer in place on general wards, with the aim of encouraging families and carers to feel more involved in patients’ care.

Open visiting allows visitors to see a patient at a time which suits them and is in the best interest of the patients.

Where possible, healthcare staff will work around agreed visiting hours to make the most of the increased flexibility.

However, when this is not possible and patients require care, treatments or examinations, visitors may be asked to leave a room or ward to allow staff to attend to a patient.

Likewise, visitors may be asked to temporarily leave an area should a nearby patient require urgent care or attention.

Restricted visiting hours will remain in place in specialist departments.

This includes where specialist care is provided, such as in critical care, high dependency units, and coronary care, as well as in maternity, special care baby and paediatric units where the needs of the baby, child or young person are considered, and parents are encouraged to be partners in their child’s care.

Gill Harris, executive director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Health Board, said: “Contact with friends, families and carers is a really important part of helping many of our patients get better, which is why we’ve introduced a new, more flexible approach to visiting hours.

“By opening up our visiting hours, we want families and friends to feel more involved in the care of their loved ones, helping them to get more benefit from inpatient care and hopefully making their transition from hospital back into the community smoother."

The health board continues to recommend that only two people visit a patient at any given time, though there may be occasions when the number of visitors could exceed this number.

All visitors should not visit if they have signs of a cough, cold or diarrhoea or vomiting, or have been in contact with an infectious disease, such as chicken pox.

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