MONDAY will see the further relaxation of rules surrounding visitors at hospitals across the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT), operators of Furness General Hospital in Barrow.

While patients have been able to designate a visitor after they had stayed longer than seven days on Ward 6 and Abbey View at Furness General Hospital, Millom Community Hospital and at the Huggett Suite and Wards 20, 22, 23 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, visiting will now open to patients across Morecambe Bay who have stayed longer than seven days on any adult hospital wards - including if they transfer to one of their hospitals.

Visits will be limited to three per week and each patient will initially have one designated visitor. This is to protect patients, visitors and staff during the ongoing pandemic.

Visiting to the organisation's hospital sites throughout the pandemic has been permitted for reasons which include, patients at the end of life, those providing care for a loved one as part of the 'Johns Campaign' for people with dementia, parents and guardians of children, birthing partners and exceptional circumstances such as breaking bad news and those with extreme phobias.

Sue Smith, OBE, Executive Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive for the Trust said: "We recognise the beneficial and therapeutic nature of visiting on patients.

"Our initial trial has been successful, so we are opening this up to more people. We will keep this under review with a view to opening up visiting still further as circumstances allow."

To ensure large groups of visitors are not arriving at the hospitals at the same time and enable social distancing guidance to be followed, wards are offering staggered visiting times. To find out more about visiting times on each ward and to organise a visit, loved ones should ring the ward their loved one is staying in, or the main hospital switchboard number 01539 732288 and they will be transferred to the appropriate ward/department.

Bookings will be taken between the hours of 10am and 12pm Monday to Friday.

Only one booking at a time can be made other than a Friday when arrangements for weekend and the following Monday can be made.

Visitors will be advised to complete Lateral Flow Tests and complete twice weekly testing during weeks that they are visiting their loved ones. While the Trust will not ask, we would ask for the public's co-operation to protect our staff and our patients.

Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, unless exempt.