Maternity Ward Visiting Hours Expanded at Two Hospitals

The visiting schedule for maternity patients at two hospital wards has been lengthened, a decision made in response to input from patients and their relatives. Specifically, Ward 10 at University Hospital of North Durham and Ward 61 at Darlington Memorial Hospital will now permit daily visits between 09:00 and 22:00 GMT, exclusively for one birthing partner and any siblings of the newborn. Gergana Nikolova, who serves as the director of midwifery for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, stated that the aim of these changes is to “foster a more inclusive and supportive environment that meets the emotional and practical needs of our women, birthing people and their families”. Ms. Nikolova further explained that the trust is unable to offer overnight accommodation for families on either ward because of existing infrastructure limitations. The trust also clarified that visiting hours for other individuals in the maternity wards remain set from 14:00 to 16:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00, with a limit of three visitors per patient bed, all of whom must be over 16 years old, unless they are a sibling of the infant.