Open Visiting – Wexham Park & Heatherwood Hospitals

Guidance for visitors

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The presence of friends and family is very reassuring for patients and of great benefit in the recovery process, and for this reason this hospital now has open visiting hours.

Patients and visitors greatly value more relaxed visiting hours as it makes it easier to visit and gives them the opportunity to be involved in care if they wish to be. It also gives them, and us, more opportunity to talk over any concerns regarding treatment or care and resolve issues at an early stage.

To help make visiting hours run smoothly we have created a Visitors Code and would ask that you familiarise yourself with this.

Visitors Code

We expect our staff to treat all visitors with courtesy, consideration and without discrimination. We ask you to treat our staff in the same way.

  • Introduce yourself at the nurses’ station before you begin your visit
  • You are welcome to visit at any time but if you intend to visit before 9am or after 9pm, please arrange this with the senior sister or nurse in charge
  • Visitors will generally be restricted to a maximum of two per patient for privacy and space reasons
  • Please get agreement from the matron or nurse in charge before you bring a child under 12 years old onto the ward and be aware that children must be supervised at all times
  • Short visits are less tiring for patients, and good recovery is aided by patients having enough rest
  • If you wish to stay overnight please ask to speak to the senior duty nurse or clinical site manager
  • Speak to the nursing team if you have any questions about the visitors code or if you have any questions about your loved one’s care or treatment
  • Doctors need to check on their patients during the day, and when this occurs you will be asked to wait outside the ward area until the doctor is finished. However, if you would like to be present when the doctor reviews your loved one please let the nurse in charge know
  • Help prevent infection spreading by using the hand hygiene gel and washing facilities before and after your visit
  • Mobile phones can raise the noise level so please do not use these in the ward. Photographs must not be taken in hospital as they then become part of the clinical record
  • Please hep us observe the national guidance that all Trust premises are smoke free and alcohol free

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Protected Meal Times:

The Trust operates ‘Protected Mealtimes’ meaning that clinical care, examinations and tests are not carried out during this time. We welcome visitors to bring in lunch to eat with their relative or friend or to help them with eating their meals when this is needed. Sometimes patients prefer relatives to do this and often enjoy a bit of company at mealtimes. However, if a patient‘s eating appears inhibited while visitors are present they may be asked to wait outside of the ward area until mealtime has finished.

Visitors are able to bring in food for their loved one but please be aware we are unable to refrigerate or reheat food so it must be consumed the same day.