Visiting times

Current visiting arrangements at Medway Maritime Hospital

IMPORTANT – No visiting is allowed if possible symptoms for COVID-19 are displayed by the visitor. COVID-19 symptoms in adults can be seen here; COVID-19 symptoms in children can be seen here.

The visiting rules below apply for most wards. If you are unsure, please check current visiting restrictions with the ward staff before visiting. A list of ward phone numbers can be found here. 

• Two visitors are allowed at the bedside at any one time, if space permits on the ward.
• Visiting times continue as 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm ONLY, although booking is no longer required
• Visiting is opened to any visitor between those times rather than just two people per day
• Siblings can visit Maternity areas with a responsible adult, but only on Pearl and Kent Wards. Sibling visiting is allowed in these areas between 2pm and 6pm.
• Please do not bring lateral flow tests in to the hospital to test your loved ones; if you are concerned that a current inpatient has COVID-19, please inform a member of staff.

To ensure that we protect our patients, as well as visitors and staff, from the ongoing risks of COVID-19, appropriate infection prevention and control measures will remain in place for the immediate future. Please continue to observe these measures while you are on our site. These include:

• Wearing a face mask in the following areas, unless you are exempt:

1. Lawrence Ward
2. Galton Day Unit.

• Washing your hands regularly, or using hand gel
• Not entering the hospital if you have COVID-19 symptoms, unless you require urgent medical care.

Inpatient wards

All inpatient wards allow two visitors at the bedside at any time if space allows, between 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm, unless listed below: 

• High Dependency Unit (HDU): 2 visitors a day but only 1 at the bedside at a time for a one-hour period each. This must be arranged in advance with the nurse in charge of the unit by telephone. Please note visiting may not always be possible, however we will endeavour to support on a patient by patient basis. Visitors without an appointment will not be able to enter the unit. 
• Intensive Care Unit: 2 visitors a day but only 1 at the bedside at a time for a one-hour period each. This must be arranged in advance with the nurse in charge of the unit by telephone. Please note visiting may not always be possible, however we will endeavour to support on a patient by patient basis. Visitors without an appointment will not be able to enter the unit.
• McCulloch ward: 2 visitors a day but only 1 at the bedside at a time. Visits for up to 2 hours in the Amber bays and siderooms. Due to the vulnerability of patients in D bay no visiting is allowed. As this is a respiratory ward this may be subject to short notice change.
• Paediatric wards (Dolphin / Panda/ Penguin): One parent / carer is able to reside with the child and they can swap at any time. Parents / carers / siblings can visit from 8am to 8pm and wider family members may visit from 1pm to 6pm. There should be a maximum of two people at the bed / cot side at any one time.
• Seahorse: In general, only one parent / carer is permitted to stay with the child however in exceptional circumstances, another adult could be allowed for support. This must be discussed and agreed with the nurse in charge.

Emergency Department ('A&E') and Urgent Treatment Centre

Every patient may be accompanied where appropriate and deemed necessary.

A parent or guardian can accompany a child who attends the paediatric Emergency Department.

Outpatients

Patients may be accompanied within the Outpatient setting. 

Seahorse: In general, only one parent / carer is permitted to stay with the child however in exceptional circumstances, another adult could be allowed for support. This must be discussed and agreed with the nurse in charge.

Maternity and Antenatal care

Our maternity services have separate guidelines for people who are giving birth, their birth partners and their visitors. You can find them on the maternity services pages here.

Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit (NICU)

Both parents / carers and siblings are permitted to stay with their baby / babies at any time. Parents / carers are partners in care and are not viewed at visitors. Other family members will be permitted to visit at any time as long as a parent / carer is present. There should only be a maximum of two people at the cotside at any one time. NICU will continue to monitor number of parents within the bay and at times to maintain safety may ask some parents to step out for a period of time.

Surgical Admission Unit (SAU)

Patients may be accompanied to SAU in order to aid communication, and support emotional and spiritual care.

Visiting patients who are dying

We want to do as much as we can to allow families to spend as much time as they need to with patients who are at the end of their lives. Please speak to the ward manager to discuss how we can support your visits in these circumstances.

Keeping in touch if you are unable to visit

To help keep everyone safe, we have facilitated other ways of keeping in touch with patients such as telephone calls and video messaging. The Trust has a dedicated email address that can be accessed to email your inpatients: medwayft.patientexperience@nhs.net