Changes to inpatient and outpatient visiting restrictions

Reflecting the reduced number of patients with COVID-19 across the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, we will be easing our visiting restrictions across our Eastern services (the RD&E Wonford and our community hospitals across Eastern Devon) from 3rd August.

There continue to be no restrictions in place across our Northern services.

Please note there is no change to our mask wearing requirements for visitors. Across the whole of the Royal Devon, including all of our Northern services, visitors are required to wear a facemask or covering in patient-facing clinical areas.

Please read on for more information.

Changes to visiting

The following changes will be effective from, Wednesday 3 August 2022:

• Adult inpatients (including critical care): may have no more than two visitors at a time, seven days a week 10am-8pm. Bookings are not required.
   
• Maternity:
  • on the labour ward, two birth partners can be with the woman/birthing person, 24/7
  • for inpatients on the ante/postnatal ward, one person can visit 9am-8pm and two people can visit between 3pm-8pm plus siblings
  • for outpatients, one adult can visit for the duration of the appointment
  • for community hospital settings, one adult and siblings can visit
     
• Children inpatients: parents may visit 24/7 and they may have two additional visitors at a bedside between 12pm-7.30pm plus siblings.
   
• Neonatal unit (NNU): may have both parents and siblings 24/7. Visiting available for anyone other than parent, siblings or support person between 2pm-8pm. Maximum two people at cot side any one time (excluding siblings).
   
• Outpatients and day treatment units/ED: Patients may be accompanied by two people where appropriate and necessary to assist their communication and/or to meet their health, care, emotional, religious, or spiritual care needs.

Facemasks and coverings

Across all of our sites across Eastern and Northern Devon, all visitors must wear a facemask or covering, unless medically exempt, in patient-facing clinical areas. Mask wearing is not required in non-patient facing areas such as corridors, restrooms and catering outlets, but remains a personal choice and is encouraged.

Please help us

Please help us to help you and your loved one by not attending if you are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or any other infection (such as diarrhoea and vomiting).

Staying in touch in other ways

We appreciate how hard separation can be for families and patients and we have a number of measures in place to ensure contact is maintained if people can’t visit. This includes:

• passing messages between the patient and those important to them, supported by hospital staff and voluntary services
• having central email arrangements, with laminated messages/photographs delivered to patients
• taking delivery of a phone for patients from their families/friends
• supporting the use of devices as an alternative to face-to-face visiting
• For enhanced family liaison arrangements, please contact:
  • patientexperince@nhs.net (Northern services)
  • rde-tr.PALS@nhs.net (Eastern services)