Person-centred visiting
Throughout NHS Grampian, we promote person centred visiting, with an ethos less about having fixed visiting times and more about staff, friends, family members and carers working together to support those in hospital in the best possible way.
Friends, family members and carers can help by supporting a restful environment, visiting during the daytime or evening, respecting other patients and visitors need for privacy, supervising children who visit with you, and being considerate of others.
It’s helpful if groups of family and friends can agree on one person to be the main contact with ward staff. They can make you aware of when it may be helpful for staff or other patients not to be disturbed and discuss any individual wishes. NHS Grampian recognises family and friends have an important role to play in supporting people’s recovery.
We understand individual and family circumstances are unique. Please let us know about any specific needs your family member or friend may have. A compassionate approach helps us deliver safe person centred care to all those who need to be in hospital. There are limited facilities to have visitors stay overnight, but there are some camp beds kindly gifted by NHS charities if appropriate. Please discuss with ward staff if there are extenuating circumstances, and we will try our best to safely facilitate this if possible.
Our inpatient wards (Ashgrove and Summerfield) have quiet time between 2:30pm and 4:30pm each day. Visitors are welcome, but we ask you keep noise levels to a minimum and limit moving around the ward. Family and friends should not visit if they are at all unwell. This includes things like vomiting and/or diarrhoea, as well as the symptoms of any respiratory infection (coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat, muscle aches).
Access our frequently asked questions about visiting here.
Attending Appointments
Scanning Dept
Where possible, we would kindly ask that children are not brought along to scan appointments. It is important the clinical environment is as calm and distraction free as possible for both yourself and our sonographers, as well as other patients. In circumstances where children have to come along to appointments, please ensure they are supervised at all times to ensure their safety and the safety of others.
Triage / Induction of Labour Suite
Where possible, we would kindly ask that childcare arrangements are made prior to attendance to our triage department, as it is a busy clinical area and not really suitable for young children. We do however understand that you may have to attend in a timely manner to be seen and assessed yourself, so please do not delay attendance if you have been advised to attend immediately.
If you are being admitted for an inpatient induction of labour, then you will stay in our induction suite, and can have a support person present with you, however there is very limited capacity for visitors to stay overnight.