Open visiting now available

Updated 25 May 2022

We are pleased to announce that we have now moved to open visiting in our wards.

Please note the information below applies to most of our wards (areas where patients are staying in a bed overnight), but other rules may be in place for maternity, paediatrics (ward 10) and the intensive care unit (ICU).

What does ‘open visiting’ mean?

Those staying overnight on our wards (you may hear us refer to these patients as ‘inpatients’) can now be visited by up to two visitors at any one time between 10am and 8pm, seven days a week.  

You don’t need to book your visit, but should try and coordinate it with other family and friends to ensure there are not too many of you trying to visit at the same time (see below)

What can I do to help make my visit safe and enjoyable for the person I am visiting?

  • Please wear a mask: The wellbeing of our patients is still our number one priority during visits, so you must continue to wear a mask when you visit the ward (and from the point at which you enter the hospital) and wash your hands with alcohol gel or with soap and warm water.
  • Be patient: Sometimes the patient you are visiting may be receiving treatment or care. If this is happening when you arrive we may ask you to wait outside the ward until the patient is ready to see you.
  • Help make mealtimes safe and enjoyable: If you visit during a mealtime and would like to help your relative or friend enjoy their meal, you are welcome to help them with their eating or drinking. If not, we may ask you to wait away from the bedside so our staff have the space required to assist the patient.
  • Coordinate your visit with other visitors: We only have a limited amount of space on our wards and around each patient’s bed. For this reason we can only accommodate two visitors to a patient at any one time. We regret that we will have to ask people to leave if more than two visitors turn up to visit a patient.

If there are multiple people who would like to visit the patient please try and coordinate your visits before you arrive so you all have the opportunity to visit; this will avoid you being turned away at the ward and will ensure the person you wish to visit gets the benefit and pleasure of seeing as many relatives and friends as possible.

Can more people visit if the patient I am visiting is receiving end of life care?

We know there are times when it is important for family and friends to be together to visit a patient, particularly if they are near the end of their life.

In these situations we will do everything we can to accommodates a larger number of people during a visit. 

Video calls with inpatients

If you are unable to visit in person and your loved one does not have a mobile phone you can contact them on, please arrange a virtual visit by emailing us on visiting@YDH.NHS.UK

Outpatients guidance

Most outpatient areas will be able to allow patients to be accompanied by one person, although there may be circumstances that require a second person such as a carer, and this will be supported. Please notify the department in advance.

Emergency Department (A&E)

The Emergency Department in Yeovil has limited space in waiting areas and in the department itself, therefore the following guidance will be in place:

  • Majors: Patients who are allocated to majors can have one visitor with them.
  • Minors: Those who need to be seen in the minors’ area can only have a person accompanying them in exceptional circumstances – eg, carer, L.D, cognitive impairment etc.
  • Resus: at discretion of staff if treatment requirements allow.
  • Children’s area: Only one person to accompany.
  • AAU: visitors can come in after 11am unless there are exceptional circumstances.