Have your say on proposed hospital visiting times

Members of the public are being asked for their views on a proposal to reduce visiting times at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital as part of the fight against infection.

The hospital is proposing to limit normal ward visiting to new times of 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm. The change has been proposed to reduce the chance of infection being brought into wards by visitors and will help nursing staff spend more time with their patients and not dealing with visitors.

In recent weeks staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have seen a number of visitors attend the hospital to visit loved ones whilst they the visitors were actively ill with a vomiting bug. Anyone who is ill should not visit any hospital to see relatives but wait until they are no longer sick.

Visiting times for many wards at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have been 2pm to 8pm. The proposed change will not affect visiting to critical care or children's units, and individual arrangements would still be able to be agreed with ward staff as required.

The public are also being reminded of hospital rules about visiting that are designed to help prevent infection. Visitors should not sit on patients' beds, there should only be two visitors at a time, and visitors must make sure they clean their hands.

Director of Nursing Christine Baxter said: “Our view is that we ought to reduce our visiting times in order to help prevent infection and to help our nursing staff spend more time on direct patient care and less on dealing with visitors' needs.

We want to make sure that our patients get adequate rest and nursing staff have time to make sure patientss are fed and rested properly. It is also important that people get time to visit their loved ones and we believe this proposal can strike a better balance that meets the needs of our patients, public and our staff.”

People are being asked to give their views on the hospital's website www.nnuh.nhs.uk