Visiting Our Patients

We understand that having loved ones nearby during a hospital stay is important and can provide practical and emotional support. This section provides details of any guidelines, and specific requirements or restrictions in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients and visitors. We are committed to maintaining a welcoming environment while prioritising the health of all individuals within our care.

We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the information provided before planning your visit. If you have any questions or concerns, or need further assistance please visit our Contact Page to identify who you need to speak to and how to contact them. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers are also always available to help, so please also feel free to speak with them.

Our hospital site pages also have helpful information about getting to our hopsital sites, parking, places to eat, drink and shop, and information and visiting times for specific wards:

  1. Peterborough City Hospital

    Information about Peterborough City Hospital: Parking, Maps, Public Transport, Food, Shops, Bus, Location, Services and Wards
  2. Hinchingbrooke Hospital

    Information about Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Parking, Maps, Public Transport, Food, Shops, Bus, Location, Services and Wards
  3. Stamford & Rutland Hospital

    Information about Stamford and Rutland Hospitall: Parking, Maps, Public Transport, Food, Shops, Bus, Location, Services and Wards
  4. Our Community Hospitals

    Information pertinent to our Community Hospitals: Doddington, North Cambridgeshire, Princess of Wales, Ely

We also have a dedicated patient information for page for People with disabilities, and a page with Information for carers.

General Guidelines

Anyone who is feeling unwell, has a cold or has had diarrhoea and/or vomiting within the previous 48 hours is asked NOT to come to hospital.

Visiting Inpatients, or Overnight Patients

If somebody you know has been been referred to hospital for an operation or test and needs to stay overnight, they are being treated as an inpatient. Please see the guidelines below for visiting inpatients.

General visiting:

  • Up to two visitors per day are allowed – for a maximum of two hours, twice a day, either 2pm to 4pm or 6pm to 8pm.
  • This includes assessment areas (risks to be explained to visitors)
  • No overnight stays are allowed, unless in exceptional circumstances (by discretion).

Please see exceptions to these general visiting rules below.

Additional information:

  • All visitors are encouraged to perform a lateral flow test on the day of their visit, but this is no longer a mandatory requirement
  • Please do not visit if you have any symptoms of a cold/flu/covid-19 or diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Please do not visit until 48 hours after symptoms have resolved as you may still be infectious.

End of Life Patients

Two visitors are permitted (at a time) for end of life patients with no time limit. Other visiting is permitted - please speak to the Ward Manager for advice.

Please see the Palliative Care page for more information.

Children's Services

Paediatric/ Neonatal visiting:

  • Both parents and birth partners have 24 hour access
  • Visiting access to paediatric wards (Amazon and Holly) is now open visiting for other visitors, including siblings, between the hours of 8am to 8pm
  • A resident carer is permitted overnight

Please see the Children's Services page for more information

Emergency Department

Visiting is now open in our emergency departments - this includes AAU, ACU, MAU and MSSU & SSU (at PCH).

For more information about our emergency departments, please visit Urgent and Emergency Care.

Outpatients

If a patient has an appointment in a hospital or clinic but is not staying with us overnight, they are being treated as an outpatient or a day patient. Visiting is now open in Outpatient areas. For more information, please visit our Outpatients - Patient Information page.