Visiting someone in hospital

How to support your loved one

We understand going to hospital can be a stressful experience for the person seeking treatment, and everyone close to them.

If you’re a family member, significant other or carer, there may be asked to answer some of the hospital staff’s questions on behalf of your loved one.

You can always ask about care information, what will happen next and what recovery will look like for your loved one. You might also like to be at the bedside while staff are talking about discharge plans as well.

Please remember, if you are ever concerned that your loved one’s condition is getting worse and you are worried, you can raise concerns about a patient’s health using Ryan’s Rule on your loved one’s behalf.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours are different for each hospital and ward. This will be due to the care your loved one is receiving.

Check your hospital’s visiting hours.

Hospitals encourage loved ones and friends to visit patients. But patients can get tired easily.

For this reason, the number of visitors each patient is allowed is usually limited to 1 to 2 people at a time.

Intensive care

There are special considerations for visiting a patient in intensive care.

Presents for patients

When you're visiting a person in hospital, you can bring them things like books, magazines and fruit.

Some hospitals don't allow flowers on the wards or other clinical areas. Check with the hospital before you bring or send someone flowers.

Hand hygiene

When you're visiting someone in hospital, make sure you clean your hands using soap and water or use hand sanitiser. You need to do this when you enter or leave a patient's room or other areas of the hospital.

Don't visit if you're unwell

Please don't visit anyone in hospital if you have a cough, cold, diarrhoea, vomiting or any other infectious condition.