Visiting restrictions easing at James Cook Hospital

Visiting patients at hospitals in Middlesbrough is getting easier from tomorrow

Author: Ellie KumarPublished 24th Feb 2022

Visiting patients at hospitals in part of Teesside is getting easier from tomorrow as visiting restrictions are set to be relaxed.

From Friday 25 February patients will be able to have one visitor for one hour each day following a decision by the trust’s experienced clinicians to reintroduce visiting across all its sites.

The trust, which runs The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and community wards at Redcar, East Cleveland and The Friary hospitals, suspended visiting at the beginning of the pandemic to protect its patients, staff and service users.

From Friday these restrictions will be eased; allowing non-COVID patients to have one visitor for one hour a day on an appointment basis between 10am and 8pm.

Flexible visiting arrangements can also be made for seeing babies and children, critically ill patients and for end of life care.

Lindsay Garcia, deputy chief nurse, said: “We are delighted to welcome back visitors, we’ve really missed them and we know our patients have too.

“We’ve been very careful around our patient visiting since the beginning of the pandemic to help protect our patients and staff.

“Following a decrease in COVID-19 cases regionally our experienced clinicians have now made the decision to reintroduce visiting for our inpatients and we look forward to welcoming loved ones back onto our wards.

“To keep everyone safe we’re asking that visitors and patients meet up in ward areas rather than in public areas of our hospitals.”

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