Your health

Please speak to the person you are visiting, and the ward staff, about the best times for you to visit.

In most circumstances we ask that there are no more than 2 visitors at a time (these visitors can change). This is to help make the environment as restful as possible, and to minimise the risk of infection. There may be times when it would be appropriate for more than 2 people to visit at a time. The nurse in charge will be happy to discuss this with you.

Yes. If possible, we ask that one family member is identified to be the key hospital contact who takes responsibility to share information with other family and friends, as appropriate.

Please note, there is a limit to what information we can give over the phone, and who we can give this information to.

• Please use the hand sanitizing gel provided when coming into and leaving the ward.
• Please do not visit if you are unwell. For example, if you have cold or flu, vomiting or diarrhoea, or an upset stomach.
• Please use the toilets for the public, and not those designated for patients or staff, where you can. 
• Visiting may take place at a bedside or communal area. In all instances chairs provided for visiting should be used. If visiting at a bedside, you should avoid sitting on the bed as this can spread infection.
• If your relative/friend is being isolated, or if the ward is temporarily closed, please follow the advice provided by staff as there may be additional safety measures to follow.

Person Centred Visiting is in place across NHSGGC, including outpatient areas and emergency departments.

Please see the rest of this page for information about Person Centred Visiting.

Where there is a particularly high risk of infection, patients will continue to have visiting arrangements discussed as part of their individual risk assessments. Ward and department staff will be happy to discuss these with you.

If your relative/friend is being isolated, please follow the advice provided by staff, as there may be additional safety measures to follow.

If the ward is temporarily closed, please follow the advice provided by staff, as there may be additional safety measures to follow.

Eating is a social occasion. You are welcome to visit at mealtimes to offer support and encouragement. However, please discuss visiting during mealtimes with the person you are visiting, and the ward staff.

Children are welcome to visit, however children under 18 years of age need to be supervised at all times.

We are offering ‘virtual visiting’ (video calls) for all patients. All wards have iPads specially set up to make video calls. This lets you see and talk to the people who matter to you. If you have your own mobile phone, tablet or laptop we can help you to make video calls using your equipment, if you are not able to do this yourself

For information about visiting someone on a Mental Health Ward, please visit our Person centred visiting in mental health wards information page.

For information about visiting someone on a Maternity Ward, please visit our Person-centred Visiting in our Maternity wards information page.

Only one family member or friend, chosen by the patient or their guardian, carer or power of attorney can visit at present.

Visiting arrangements will be organised as flexibly as possible to ensure the safety of patients, family and staff.

There may be situations where staff may have to ask you to step outside the ward temporarily or to leave the ward during your visit. We will always explain when this is necessary. Your support and understanding when this is necessary is appreciated to ensure everyone’s safety and privacy.

The person providing support can be changed if required. Examples of when this may happen include:

• if a person in hospital needs support from a different person for a variety of reasons, or
• if the person who has been providing support becomes unwell, needs a rest or is unable to visit for some other reason.

However, changing the named person multiple times in a day or perhaps daily would not be expected in normal circumstances.

If you are chosen to visit, please contact the ward to arrange a visit in advance. It is important that you do not come to the ward without an appointment – we may need to ask you to leave and come back at another time.

Telephone numbers for wards and departments are listed on each hospital page, or alternatively contact the hospital switchboard.

It is important that we continue to limit the number of people present in the ward at any one time. To help manage this there are maximum numbers of people permitted in a room at any one time to ensure we can all follow physical distancing rules.

We understand in some cases, the family member chosen to visit may need to be accompanied by another person, for example a child visiting a parent or sibling, or a frail elderly person who cannot attend the hospital independently. The presence of this additional person will be facilitated – ward staff will explain how this will be supported.

COVID-19 is still with us and can be transmitted easily. To reduce risks careful attention to infection prevention and control measures around family support still need to be maintained.
There are many vulnerable patients in our hospital wards and in particular, some types of illness and types of treatments where we need to proceed with extreme caution, ensure a risk assessment is undertaken appropriately, and reassessed as and when circumstances change.

If a visit is not possible, we will provide you with an explanation why this is necessary. We will keep this under review where possible and will reassess as circumstances change.

If there is a need to further restrict visiting to a particular ward or area for example due to an outbreak of COVID-19 or rapidly increasing community transmission, essential visits will continue. Further information about essential visits is available on the NHSGGC website.

If you cannot visit in person, please use technology such as social media and phone calls to stay in touch. If the person you want to speak to does not have access to their own phone or tablet, please access our Person Centred Virtual Visiting service.

All wards have iPads specially set up to enable ‘virtual visits’ (video call) allowing patients to see and talk to the people who matter to them using FaceTime, Skype or Zoom.

To help keep everyone safe, we strongly recommend that all visitors undertake voluntary lateral flow testing prior to visiting. It is then recommended you undertake the test twice per week for as long as you are the named visitor.

This is optional – if you do not wish to have a test or are not able to test this will not be an obstacle to a visit.

Information on how to order Lateral Flow Tests is on the Scottish Government’s website.

On your arrival at the ward and every time you visit the ward, staff will check that you are well and ask you some questions about your health to make sure it is safe for you to visit. They will ask you the following questions:

• Are you feeling unwell?
• Do you have new/continuous cough?
• Have you had any sickness or diarrhoea within the last 48 hours?
• Have you noticed a change in your temperature?
• Have you noticed a change in your normal sense of taste or smell?
• Are you self-isolating because you have been in contact with anyone suspected as having, or has tested positive for COVID-19?

You will not be allowed to visit if you do not pass this safety check.

It is essential you do not visit if you have a persistent cough, loss of taste or smell, flu like symptoms or fever.

It’s also important that you do not visit if you have symptoms of other respiratory infections, including: a runny nose, congestion in your nose or lungs, a sore throat, headache, cough, repeated sneezing, breathlessness, wheezing or chest tightness, muscle aches, tiredness, or shortness of breath.

It is important for your safety and for the safety of patients and staff that you do the following:

• Face covering/mask must be worn at all times, unless there is a reason why you cannot.
• Avoid communal gatherings in public areas of the hospital. Take the stairs if possible to avoid congregating in lift lobbies. Your movement around other areas of the hospital must be limited as much as is reasonably possible
• Clean your hands using the hand sanitiser before and after you leave the ward or department and when you touch anything.
• Two metres distance should be maintained from others.
• Self-isolate – You MUST NOT attend if you are unwell, if you are a household contact or have otherwise been informed that you are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have been advised to self-isolate or have to self-isolate for another reason.

Respiratory hygiene also remains important, covering the nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing, wiping or blowing the nose. These should be disposed of immediately in the bin and hand washing performed immediately afterwards.

There might be situations where staff will need to ask you to use PPE – such as a face mask, apron, gloves etc. If this is required, the staff will help you to put this on correctly and to dispose of it before you leave.

If you are a family member or carer for the person, you are visiting and helping to support aspects of their care such as supporting nutritional intake at meal times, or other personal care you will be provided with necessary PPE to undertake this activity.

You are able to touch your relative or friend (for example, hold their hand, hug or kiss them) – however, please remember that keeping a 2 metre distance wherever possible will reduce the chances of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses spreading to you, your relative or friend, other patients, and staff.

Please check with the ward staff first. It may be possible to go a walk to the main communal areas of the hospital or hospital grounds as long as social distancing measures and the wearing of a face covering is adhered to.

Retail outlets and hospital dining facilities are open on all our hospital sites. If using any of these facilities, you must make sure you take all the necessary safety measures required – wear you face mask, maintain a 2 metre social distance, provide your contact details for Trace and Protect, apply hand sanitiser on entry and when leaving the facility etc.

Where possible you should use the toilet facilities provided for members of the public. It is preferred that you do not use patient and staff toilets, unless there is no other option available.

The majority of wards across NHSGGC have a person centred approach to visiting, meaning that patients are able to have:

• Support in hospital from the people who matter to them. This no longer needs to be limited to the same two people visiting, however we may sometimes need to limit the numbers of family members who can visit at any one time, so physical distancing rules can be followed.
• Conversations with staff and family on admission and throughout the hospital stay to discuss who they would like to visit and when.
• Family support at times when patients wish the presence, help and support of the people who matter to them. For example at mealtimes, rehabilitation sessions, discharge planning and during multidisciplinary team conversations.

Due to changes in COVID-19 community prevalence and hospital admissions, there may sometimes be variation to this approach. Updates and changes will be published on this page and also on our Hospital visiting pages as the occur.

The following are examples of where an ‘essential visit’ will be supported for family members: 

• when someone is reaching the end of their life
• if someone has dementia and needs family support
• support for someone with a learning disability
• a family member who has caring responsibilities
• parents of a child in hospital
• support during pregnancy and childbirth, including outpatient appointments, ante-natal and post-natal care
• situations where someone is receiving life-changing information.

This list is not exhaustive. A flexible and compassionate approach will always guide decision making.

Person Centred Virtual Visiting (video calls) is in place to help people maintain contact with their relatives/friends, when in-person visits are not possible. People can see and talk to those who matter to them using NHS Near Me / Attend Anywhere. You can access this on mobile phones, laptops or computers. iPads are available on all wards if you do not have, or are unable to use, your own device.

For more information, please visit our Person Centred Virtual Visiting webpage.

Please do not hesitate to speak to with ward staff if you have any questions. You can find Ward and Department telephone numbers on the NHSGGC website.