Minister vows crackdown on hospital visit barriers
Source: nursingtimes.net
- Health minister promises to remove unnecessary hospital rules blocking family visits to patients.
- New guidance will ban limits on visit numbers, times, and companion policies during stays.
- Aim is to boost patient wellbeing by prioritising open access for relatives and carers.
UK Health Minister Maria Caulfield announced plans to crack down on hospital policies that restrict patient visits without good reason. The move targets overly strict rules on visit numbers, durations and companion policies that hinder families and carers from supporting patients. It matters because such barriers have been harming patient mental health and recovery, and the government wants to make hospitals more family-friendly.