Skip to main content

This site is best viewed with a modern browser. You appear to be using an old version of Internet Explorer.

Hospitals reintroducing 'Rule of One' for visitors

19/03/2021
This article is more than three years old.

This article is from 19 March 2021 - the situation may change with time.

 Patients at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) can have visitors again from Monday 22 March 2021.

As COVID-19 numbers in the community have dropped, OUH will be reintroducing the 'Rule of One' - meaning inpatients can have one visitor, for one hour, once per day, with visitors booked in by the ward staff.

Some patients will have different arrangements, such as maternity patients, child patients, patients at the end of their life, and patients with learning disabilities.

Visiting is still not allowed in Emergency Departments, Emergency Assessment Units, and Outpatient Departments unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Sam Foster, Chief Nursing Officer at the Trust, said: "We are really pleased to welcome visitors back to our hospitals. Their support and input is incredibly valuable to both our patients and our staff.

"We have worked closely with our colleagues to make sure we can reintroduce visiting safely, in a controlled manner. It is still as important as ever that our visitors follow rules around hand hygiene, wearing a face covering or face mask, and social distancing when in our hospitals.  These are the best ways to keep us all safe, and ensure that controlled visiting can remain in place.

"As always, we will keep this under review over the coming weeks and would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding."

For full visiting information please see our Visitor FAQs

The 'Keep in Touch' service is also available for those who cannot visit their loved ones:

Let them know you're thinking of them