Patients to be allowed more visitors at Ipswich Hospital
People admitted to Ipswich Hospital will now be allowed two people at their bedside
Last updated 16th Mar 2022
For the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in-patients at Ipswich Hospital are to be allowed more than visitor.
From tomorrow, in line with new national NHS guidance, two people can now visit patients in hopsital, as long as its been at least 24 hours since their admission.
Visiting slots still have to be booked in advance with teams on hospital wards, but visitors can now stay for two hours as opposed to just one.
Rules are already more relaxed for those visiting people having end of life care or those who need the help of a carer.
A maximum of three different people are allowed to visit a single patient.
The new visiting rules will also apply for patients in Felixstowe Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich - which are also run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
Chief Executive Nick Hulme said: “We hope this change to allow more people to visit the wards at one time – and for longer – will aid patients’ recoveries, by supporting their mental and physical health, and reassure their loved ones too. We understand how worrying it is when someone you love is in hospital.
“However, patients in hospital can be more vulnerable to severe illness because of COVID-19, so that’s why we still need to have some visiting restrictions in place at Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, and in our community hospitals too.
“This update to our visiting policy reflects that we are still managing the risk of COVID-19, but at the same time recognising the huge contribution visiting makes to the wellbeing of our patients and their families.”