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Visitor Information

What to expect when visiting a patient at the Royal Berkshire Hospital:

  • Visiting times are open and flexible for relatives, carers and visitors.
  • All visitors to clinical areas must wear a face mask (we will provide one for you if you don’t have your own)
  • Up to two people visiting at the bedside at any one time.
  • Please do not visit if you are unwell or have cold symptoms, high temperature, new continuous cough, ongoing headache, loss of taste / smell, vomiting or diarrhoea
  • Please avoid wash-times, to protect patient dignity, unless previously agreed with ward staff
  • We may ask you to leave in order to protect patients’ privacy and dignity, for ward rounds, procedures or if they need rest.

Ward Information

For specific visitor information for different departments and wards, please visit our Ward Catalogue. 

Maternity Information

What to expect when supporting a woman during induction of labour, labour, elective (planned) Caesarean section, and on the antenatal and postnatal wards.

  • Lateral Flow Tests are not required before attending; however, if you are able to access and perform a test, we strongly recommend this to help keep families and staff safe.
  • Only one supporter can accompany a woman either in Antenatal Clinic, Ultrasound Department, Day Assessment Unit or for a Caesarean section. 
  • Two birth supporters can attend during labour on Delivery Suite or the Rushey Birth Centre. If your birth supporter has Covid when you are in labour or attending your baby’s birth, please consider if there is another person you could ask to attend instead (as we would request if they developed Norovirus or another infectious illness).
    If this is not possible, a Covid-positive birth partner MUST wear an FFP3 mask at all times during the birth – we will provide these. They will also need to remain entirely in the private birth room. In order to keep other women and babies safe, Covid-positive people will not be able to attend the Level 4 wards (antenatal or postnatal).
  • If a woman has Covid during labour or attending for baby’s birth, her birth partner can still attend and should wear an FFP3 mask.
  • Please bring all necessary belongings with you into hospital for mother and baby to avoid unnecessary trips into hospital for the birth supporter.
  • Supporters must use hand sanitiser. Please wash your hands with soap and water regularly during your stay.
  • There are still some visiting restrictions on the Level 4 wards.
    • On the Level 4 wards (antenatal or postnatal wards), one single named supporter can be with the woman from 8.30am to 8.30pm. A second additional supporter can visit between 4pm and 6pm. Siblings are welcome to attend but must be supervised at all times please.
  • If the supporter is Covid-positive, they will NOT be able to visit the ward.
  • You will notice masks are worn less by our staff, who continue to test themselves regularly for Covid. For certain clinical procedures they will continue wearing masks, and may also continue to do so out of personal choice. We ask for your understanding and support as we make this transition.
  • During clinical procedures the healthcare staff will be wearing protective equipment, such as face masks, aprons, gloves and visors. Please work with the healthcare staff to maintain social distancing, whenever possible.
  • Masks are no longer routinely required by patients, partners or visitors at the Royal Berks, unless they have Covid or Covid Symptoms.
  • When maternity appointments with our RBH team take place externally, in GP surgeries or Children's centres, you will need to follow the mask wearing guidance of these individual organisations.

Please speak to the midwife in charge for further information

Sending messages to patients

If you can't be with a friend or loved one being care for in hospital then you able to write a message which will be delivered to the patient. Please write a message and send it to pals@royalberkshire.nhs.uk and our PALs team will deliver it for you. 

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