This change in Trust policy will bring many benefits for people staying in hospital, including wellbeing and emotional support, improved communication with colleagues, support with nutrition and hydration and a more familiar environment to recover in.

There are also benefits for their visitors, who can feel more involved in care planning and treatment of their loved ones and friends, and they have greater flexibility to fit visiting around other commitments.

Carolyn Mills, Chief Nursing Officer at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am delighted that we have been able to introduce open visiting across our ward areas and we are excited to see the benefits this will bring to our patients and their family and friends who visit.”

Although the Trust’s visiting policy has been updated to reflect these new hours, core elements remain unchanged including numbers of visitors allowed and exceptions to normal hours.

To support more relaxed visiting the Trust are launching visitor charters alongside the new policy to clearly explain the expectations for both visitors and colleagues and these will be displayed in patient areas.

Visitors are encouraged to visit between the hours of 9am and 10pm, if outside of these hours they are asked to confirm this approach with the nurse in charge of that area.

With longer hours, there are times when visitors may need to be asked to leave the ward for treatments, care and tests. Visitors are also expected to enhance mealtimes by supporting nutrition and hydration intake and not disrupt or delay these.

People can find additional visiting information and our visiting charters here on our website.