Beginning today, patients admitted to hospitals in Scotland who do not have COVID-19 will be able allowed to meet a designated visitor.
Up to now, hospital visits were highly restricted and permitted only in few essential circumstances such as patients reaching end-of-life, the need for a birthing partner to be present or if patients with mental health issues are likely to be distressed in the absence of a visit.
Hospital visitors must adhere to the following:
- Visit time should be arranged in advance with the ward staff.
- They should not visit any other patient in the hospital.
- They must follow strict hand hygiene and face covering guidance.
- They must maintain strict physical distancing within the hospital's communal areas.
- They should not visit if they have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.
Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, said: “There is a need to balance the risk of physical and psychological harm that the absence of visitors can cause, with the gradual reduction of COVID-19. We have worked with Health Protection Scotland to plan how we safely restore a person-centered approach to visiting in Scotland’s hospitals.”
