To think that 3-30pm - 7-0pm is astupid for a children's ward.

[poptyping1]

In my county hospital the children's ward which serves a large wide community opens from 3.30-8pm every day including the weekend. A child I know is in, he under 3 so ov his mum is staying with him as it is over 1h30mins drive away and the child is so small... I thought I could go 1 morning but no it has to be a night. The child in question is asleep if not in pain by 6 30.

[TheUnmentioned]

Im guessing it is so brothrs and sisters can come / gparents can come after work etc?

[Jojay]

Our Children's Ward doesn't restrict visiting hours at all - it does seem strange.

[bubblewrapped]

that time would probably be due to working parents being able to visit on their way home

and mothers to take siblings

the wards will be busy with doctors visits and nursing duties in a morning I would imagine..

[Sirzy]

When DS has been on Kids ward mornings are very much taken up by doctors rounds, the afternoons are generally a bit quieter with just reviews (and of course any treatment) going on.

There visiting times are pretty similar and it seems to work well. They will make exceptions though if you ask them, my sister works in the hospital and they always let her in at her dinner hour to see us.

So yes YABU really.

[Hulababy]

Children's hospital in Sheffield has no restrictions on visiting hours but does ask thatvisitors have left by 9pm, and that there sould be no more than 2 visitors per bed (plus one parent), and that under 5s can only visit if agreed by the ward nurse.

[poptyping1]

What if that child is going to be in for weeks and weeks .... I can see why in some ways during the week but at weekends aswell?

[Blu]

Visiting hours are built round the medical staff's needs and timetable's, not visitors!

I have spent weeks in children's wards, and visiting times can be pandemonium, and quite awful with families bringing loads of other children, noise, kids running about, DVDs on full volume. Members of my extended family have been known to turn up and start wanting to use the parents little kitchen to make drinks and toast for their own kids

The mornings are v busy with doctors, constant to-ing and fro-ing of children in and out to theatre, which cntinues through the afternoon, and the afternoon, lots of chidren recovering from surgery, staff v busy monitoring etc.

[BoobyMcLeaky]

I work on a childrens ward, we have open visiting but on the last ward I worked on it was 1530-1900. As Sirzy says, dr's rounds are on a morning, and they try to do any procedures on a morning too (if possible). Having lots of visitors around makes things difficult (think about it, 13 beds, each with 2 visitors, that's a lot of extra people).

If your friend needs you there she could ask if you can come in early.

[poptyping1]

ok just found out that the other children's ward in the hospital has flexi visiting hours- this is the ward the child is on. The other ward seems to be for pacients who are only in for a short time...

[MrsTumbles]

The childrens ward my DD was on had visiting of 14:00-15:00 and 19:00-20:00! Thinking about it, that was the same times as the maternity unit.
It was a nightmare in both as I was in a room on my own with DD for 5 days with no one to talk to/help when I gave birth. And on the childrens ward you weren't given any food/drink (which was fine, I know costs have to be kept down), but I couldn't leave my DD on her own to even get breakfast, or have a cup of tea (no hot drinks on wards!)
Because DD was asleep by 19:00, evreyone descended on the ward at 14:00, then I got shouted at coz 2 sets of worried grandparents came down at once. It ended up making a stressful situation even more stressful!

[Blu]

When I have been in with DS they have always let dp and I be there together if we wanted, and often my bf would be my 'other parent', so that I could go off to lunch and things. They weren't jobsworthy about adults being part of the support team, just entourages of kids and aunties and distant cousins, arriving en masse.

[Sirzy]

I would imagine even open visiting all afternoon would drive the staff mad!

When Ds has been in the staff have never objected to my parents staying all day to keep me company. It is generally extended family/friends they understandably restrict