Visiting A Patient

Please note: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic we have made the difficult decision to suspend visiting in our hospitals, with some exceptions. For more information please visit the Coronavirus section of our website. 

Visiting someone in hospital plays a vital part in helping them to recover. We encourage you to visit your family and friends but ask you to follow some simple rules to reduce the infection risks to patients and aid their recovery.

We ask that a maximum of two people visit a patient at any one time to minimise infection. If for any reason you would like more than two people to visit at a time, you must arrange this in advance with the Nurse in Charge of the ward or unit.

Please arrange with friends and family to take turns if necessary. Do not feel that you must stay for all of the visiting time. Sometimes a quick visit and chat is all that is needed and it ensures that the patient can have enough time to rest and recover.

Children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult at all times within the hospital.

Unfortunately pets are not normally allowed into the hospital, with the exception of

  • Guiding or assistance dogs
  • Pets holding a pet passport as part of the End of Life Care scheme (please speak to a member of staff to find out more)

Please make sure that you have checked the ward page for details such as visiting times before you travel. These details can be found through our Ward Directory.

Due to hygiene reasons flowers are not permitted on the wards, so please refrain from bringing these when visiting.

Carers

If you are involved in giving care to a patient and would like to carry on doing this whilst they’re in hospital,  please speak to the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse. You may be able to help give them more information from you about your relatives or friends care needs.

For more information and support regarding being a carer, please visit our dedicated Carer’s Page.

DoDo keep your hands clean. Use alcohol gel on entering and leaving the ward. If you are unable to use the alcohol gel for religious or medical reasons, please wash your hands very carefully with soap and water at the sinks provided, then dry them thoroughly.

DoDo ask advice from the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse before going into an isolation room.

DoDo leave if we ask. We may need to give care or treatment to your relative or friend, or to another patient. To ensure privacy and dignity we may ask you to wait outside for a few minutes.

DoDo respect hospital property and ensure you leave all areas clean and tidy.

DoDo tell us if you have any concerns about patient care or cleanliness, or if you have any suggestions for improvement. Please speak to the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse. If you wish to speak to the Matron please ask a member of staff or reception to contact the Matron for you.

DontDon’t visit if you are suffering from any infection such as a cold, flu, sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting or a chest infection. If you have been in contact with an infectious illness, such as chicken pox, do not visit – telephone and ask for advice from the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse.

DontDon’t use ward toilets – these are for patients only. Please use the nearest public toilets. Ask a member of staff to direct you.

DontDon’t bring in flowers or plants. Wards cannot allow plants or flowers due to the risk of cross infection.

DontDon’t share patient toiletries, tissues, towels and other personal items with other patients.

DontDon’t sit or lie on the patient’s bed.

DontDon’t touch wounds, dressings or any other medical equipment such as drips or catheters.

DontDon’t visit in work clothing which may be dirty.

DontDon’t bring cooked or uncooked meals into the hospital. If you are concerned about special dietary needs for medical, religious or cultural beliefs, please talk to the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse so an appropriate meal plan can be arranged.

Other Useful Information

All enquiries about the patient’s medical condition and treatment should be made to the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse. Arrangements can be made to see a member of the medical staff on request.

Please try to arrange for only one family member to telephone the ward and then share information with other members of the family and friends. Please that be aware that we are unable to give detailed medical information over the telephone. For ward contact numbers please visit the individual ward page. This can be found through the Ward Directory.

We ask that any mobile phones are kept on silent. Some areas may require you to switch your phone off completely – please keep an eye out for signs. Use of phone camera or video is also strictly prohibited.

The Trust is a ‘no smoking’ organisation. However, we do have designated external shelters and smoking is permitted solely in this area. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes.

For advice or support on quitting smoking and information regarding local services, please contact the Hospital Stop Smoking Service (Princess Royal Hospital: 01952 641222 Ext. 4464; Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: 01743 261000 Ext. 4464), or visit our Stop Smoking page.

Our Trust has a zero tolerance policy towards violence and aggression. Violent and aggressive behaviour towards other patients, visitors or staff will not be tolerated. Anyone who is violent or aggressive, or who behaves in an inappropriate way, will be asked to leave and may not be allowed to visit again.

Please do not take food or drinks onto the ward. There are restaurant and cafe facilities at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal sites, please see our Restaurants and Shops page for more information.

Please look after your own valuables and property during your visit. SATH cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage.

There are designated parking places for disabled people at all hospitals. Parking charges are displayed on each site. You can find out more about parking at our hospitals.