Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust announces change to visiting hours at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals

The trust has announced that visiting hours will be open from 2pm to 8pm each day at Pinderfields Hospital, Pontefract Hospital and Dewsbury and District Hospital.

The lengths of the visit is at the ward manager’s discretion and people planning on visiting a loved one should contact the ward for further information or speak to a manager when they arrive for the most up-to-date information.

A spokesperson for the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust said: "As a trust, we recognise the importance of families and carers being able to visit their loved ones in hospital, and the positive impact this can have on patients' wellbeing.

"To support our patients and their loved ones as best we can, we have made some slight changes to our visiting rules to make them more flexible for you.

“From Wednesday, March 1, visiting hours are now between 2pm and 8pm, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

"The length of visits will be at the ward manager’s discretion, please contact the ward you wish to visit for further information, or speak to the ward manager when you arrive.”

Visitors are limited to two per patient per visit. This can be two adults or one adult and one child.

And visitors must wear face masks at all times, the only exception to this is if you are visiting a patient at the end of their life or have a medical exemption from wearing a face covering.

But visitors are not required to phone ahead, or make an appointment before attending.

There are different arrangements in place for visiting maternity wards or visiting children who are in hospital, and in circumstances where patients are reaching the end of their life.

There is also a limited visiting policy in place for patients on critical care - please contact the relevant ward and they will be able to advise further.

Anyone showing any symptoms of Covid-19, or feel unwell in any way should not visit, even if these symptoms are mild or intermittent, due to the risk they pose to others.

Further information on visiting can be found at the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust Website: https://www.midyorks.nhs.uk/visiting-during-covid/#:~:text=Visiting%20hours%20are%20between%202pm,in%20our%20hospitals%2C%20unless%20exempt..