Visiting allowed at Scarborough Hospital from 17 May: These are the rules

As of Monday May 17, one named visitor can see a relative or friend at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by booking a slot of up to an hour with their ward.

This visitor should be someone from the patient’s household or support bubble.

There remain exceptions for those patients at the end of their lives.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: "The visitor must be the same person for the duration of the patient’s stay and cannot be swapped between different family members or friends. This will help reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.

"Visitors are asked to minimise the time they spend in the hospital so are asked to arrive as close to their visiting time as possible and to go directly to the ward.

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"We also ask visitors to observe social distancing, adhere to good hand hygiene and wear a face covering or mask at all times.

"Face masks are provided at all our hospital entrances and reception desks. We also ask that visitors only visit one ward during a single visit and leave the hospital promptly after their visit.

"As has always been the case, we ask that visitors do not use patient toilets.

"It is important that you do not visit if you are showing any signs or symptoms of Covid-19 - a high temperature, new persistent cough or loss or change in smell or taste.

"You should also not attend if you have had a positive Covid-19 test in the past 10 days, returned from high risk countries in the past 10 days or if you have been told to isolate by the national test and trace team in the past 10 days."

Visiting will remain restricted on Covid-19 positive wards, wards where the Covid-19 status of the patient is unknown and where visiting may pose risk to highly vulnerable patients being exposed to visitors within the bay.

Visiting will also be restricted on wards where social distancing cannot be maintained. The Trust has warned that this may change on a regular basis and can occur at short notice.

Visitors are asked to contact the ward ahead of the agreed visit to ensure that the visiting appointment is still allowed.

Loved ones can continue to stay in touch by calling the ward directly or using the Trust's virtual visiting service.