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Visiting hours to change at Richardson Hospital
Jun 11, 2008
VISITING hours at Barnard Castle's Richardson Community Hospital are to change as health bosses attempt to provide a better quality of care for patients.
From Monday, June 16, afternoon and evening visiting times are 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm each day.
The changes are being made to enable staff at the hospital to make the scheduled meal times easier and less disruptive for patients.
Officials from County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT), which manages the Richardson Community Hospital, have been working closely with the Royal College of Nursing to improve nutritional care for patients.
Part of this campaign is also to implement government guidelines to protect patients' meal times.
They say these changes will not only make meal times easier, but will minimise interruptions to patient care and rest.
The changes will also help towards improving infection control and make planned ward cleaning times easier.
Visits by family and friends outside of the planned times remain at the discretion of the nurse in charge on the ward.
The hospital will make exceptions in cases depending on the severity of the illness of the patient and the nature of clinical care provided.
Karen Dyson, senior nurse at the Richardson Community Hospital, said: "The changes proposed are a well-meant gesture which we believe will improve the nutritional care of our patients.
"It is also our intention to provide an environment that will allow the patients the opportunity to rest and eat their meals in peace and to enable staff to provide better quality care.
"Reducing the movement of people around the hospital can only benefit patients and staff. Some patients found the existing long visiting hours tiring and by breaking up the session, patients can get more rest and nurses will have more time without visitors to care for patients.
"Any variation to the arrangements which will improve a patient's stay in hospital can be agreed with the sister or nurse in charge and we hope that visitors to the hospital agree it is a sensible move and in the best interest of the patient," she added.