John Radcliffe visiting hours restrictions could be scrapped, say bosses

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust is considering the radical move, which hospital bosses say would create a more ‘positive’ experience for patients, relatives and staff.

Spreading visitors throughout the day could also provide welcome relief to motorists who often find it difficult to park at the county's hospitals during busy times.

A consultation on the move ended earlier this month and if approved, unrestricted visiting hours would be introduced across all wards at OUH sites including the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals in Oxford and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Visiting hours currently vary depending on the ward while just children's services, maternity services, and the intensive care units operate unrestricted visiting.

OUH Chief nurse, Sam Foster helped introduce the same change while in her previous post at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

She said the change would allow flexible care arrangements with family members and carers able to be present for longer periods, while, with more visitors on hand, could also help to reduce slips and falls.

She said: “From my personal experience it will be a positive thing for everyone.

“It will help avoid confusion or disappointment as at the moment if patients are moved from A&E to a ward then visiting times will change.

“It also means wards won’t be so busy at certain times of the day with everyone visiting at once.

“Older patients will be able to spend more time with loved ones; patients over the age of 85 are typically in their last 1,0000 days of their lives and who are we to say their family can’t come in and see them?

“What we don’t want, however, is a free for all.

“It’s a clinical setting and we need to make sure people are safe.

“We need to look at how we can make it work for patients, staff and loved ones.”

Reducing the burden on parking at Oxfordshire's hospitals will come as a relief to many drivers, with long queues on the approach to the John Radcliffe common sight.

The current advice of trust bosses is to leave an hour to park when visiting the Headington hospital.

The trust is currently developing a new Visitors’ Charter to be displayed on wards which will set out guidelines to which visitors will be asked to adhere.

They will cover areas such as numbers of people around a patient’s bed, preventing spread of infection, and protected mealtimes.

Many trusts across the country who have already introduced unrestricted visiting have reported an overall improvement to the ‘atmosphere’ in wards and services, according to NHS England.

The suggestion for the same to happen in Oxfordshire has been welcomed by members of watchdog group, Patient Voice.

Leader of Patient Voice Jacqui Pearce-Gervis said: “We feel that it would just be so much more convenient for friends and relatives to visit at times which suited them, rather than waiting for 2 pm or 7 pm.

“It would spread the load on buses and car parking at the busiest times.

“The problem is of course that these days patients are in hospital for such a short time that it is possible they will be away from the wards for x-rays, tests.

“Visitors might also have to wait while doctors are doing ward rounds.

“We also may be moving to a society, which happens abroad, where relatives help with the nursing of their loved ones.

“I certainly used to try and go in at meal times to help feed my sister, particularly as they are so short staffed these days.”

OUH say no decision has as of yet been made with responses to the open visiting consultation from the public and staff currently being collated to help shape the policy.