Hospital not allowing visiting at the weekend

[cheerypip]

A close family member is a long stay inpatient in psychiatric hospital. He has just been moved to a new ward and I have been informed that they don't usually allow visits at the weekend.

It's a 5 hour round trip to visit and I work full time, so weekends are all I have.

I thought family contact was supposed to be an important part of mental health recovery. AIBU?

You're right @Topee it would just have been until she was ready for leave.

i have just wished the OP well and will now leave the thread as a good part of it… well, you know!

Yes,' blanket bans' are avoided if atall possible (or should be.) I do suspect that this is a staffing issue which was why I suggested going out with the patient if that is possible. It doesn't have to be a 'day trip' as some thought, it can just be to the hospital cafe (if there is one!)

Thank you 😊

Thank you, this is helpful to know

Thank you, this is helpful to know when I approach the ward team.

Do you know if it is a long stay rehabilitation ward? If your loved one is on a long stay ward, those are usually forensic or rehab in nature. If it is the latter, then engaging with family and having time off the ward would be a crucial part of treatment.

This I imagine it’s to do with staffing levels at the weekend

Genuinely never heard of a no weekend visiting policy. Appropriate Contact with support network is key to recovery. Can’t imagine CQC would view this favourably. Complain to the trust he is with do so by email, keep copies and contact PALS too. Wishing your family member a speedy recovery. Look after yourself too as it is emotionally demanding to worry about a family member

I suspect it's not a blanket policy as that would conflict with human rights and you should challenge it via PALS

Check first that it's true. Ask to speak to the ward manager in case someone else has said the wrong thing. Reasons for a temporary ban on visiting might be due to a Covid or D& V outbreak but I never heard of a permanent weekend visiting ban on a general psych ward.

If he's been moved out of area under section that might imply it was to a higher security setting. Otherwise why move someone OOA who already had a bed. If it's a PICU or a low/ medium secure or something they might have different rules. Still don't see how a blanket ban can be legal though. It interferes with the right to a family life.

It's possibly more to do with his S17 leave conditions or need for supervision. If he's on 1:1 obs or doesn't have leave because of risk that would be a valid reason to temporarily restrict visits.

Could you book some odd days of annual leave so that you can visit during the week, or perhaps compassionate leave.

I know psych wards can be very specific about visiting hours. But no weekends when that was previously the norm seems weird. Is it some kind of sanction on him, did he break the rules? It may be temporary? I know you say it's generic but with MH everyone is on a different plan of care. They won't necessarily tell you everything if you are no their named NOK.
I don't see why you can't ask them if they can be flexible as that's your only free time. It's very boring in hospital. I was lucky enough to be on a general ward when I was sectioned so had visitors every day for 5 hours. It's not like that in the Psych ward they were trying to send me to. I hope they accommodate you. Your family member is lucky to have someone like you who visits from such a distance, that's really great.

It’s an option but it is not addressing the issue,why is there no weekend visiting?
@cheerypip should escalate this to CQC and Pals. It’s not what good care looks like
good care isn’t a one size fits all, people have individual needs and for many that includes family visits . Family and/or support network and s17 leave are all part of recovery

It’s concerning that they have this blanket restriction and I say that as an RMN who manages a ward. I’ve worked on various wards and none have had this policy, most extend visiting hours at the weekend!

It would not be perceived well by the CQC at all and yes, plenty of detained patients have section 17 leave.

I would speak with the Ward Manager and complain via Pals or direct to CQC if they won’t budge.

Contact with family is a vital part of recovery.

Wholeheartedly agree

@Zone2NorthLondon said it much more succinctly than me😀

johnscampaign.org.uk

This campaign has been quite influential in our Trust (not just dementia all wards) and after Covid restrictions lifted open visiting was allowed again. The Trust were quite firmly in support of that and did not allow any push back for staff convenience. Honestly it was easier to run the ward when the Covid restrictions meant people had to book slots but in the end I agree that's not the primary consideration and people should be able to see their family in nearly all circumstances.

Complain. It is not person centred and sounds very much like it is related to staffing. Why should someone be deprived of family contact. It would not be acceptable for a physical illness so why should it be for a mental illness?

Sorry but that's a horrible thing to say.

There's really no legal mechanism to actually stop people visiting if the person being visited consents to it. It is a breach of the persons right to a family life not to allow visitors. I have actually had to allow some visitors who had been abusive to the person concerned and to staff because we don't really have the right to stop them unless there is some kind of restraining order or the person refuses or lacks capacity and it's not in their BI. If a capacitous person wants to have visitors they should not be stopped because of a hospital policy. It's generally considered a very high bar and an unusual thing to ban someone.

Please phone the ward and ask directly, I'm really surprised at this. Definitely escalate to CQC if you get no joy. It's a really odd policy. Maybe they're majorly understaffed at the weekend, but family visits are more often than not encouraged. Have you got a means of communication with your brother? So you can ask him if he'd like a visit?

@SummerDays2020

I admire your self restraint, and thank you for your clear and sensible advice.

I despair of the pointless sniping and 'gotcha' posts on MN these days.

Interesting to hear the inside line. I have no personal.experience, but so pleased to hear that a more humane approach is adapted these days.

Thank you for the very difficult work you do.

I have never heard of no weekend visits in 32years of being a MH nurse - unless

• the patient does not want visitors at that time and its a generic statement given to visitors/ relatives (patient specific of course)
• there have been incidents on the unit which makes it unsafe for visitors to visit
• there is not enough staff to keep patients/ visitors safe
• the patient themselves is very poorly - again this is just linked to one person and should not affect other patients/ visitors on the ward
• the patient is at risk from relatives (but this would be specifically for the one patient rather than the whole ward)
• the ward is medium/ high secure and appropriate risk assessments have to be undertaken and visits booked

Just because someone is sectioned they can still have visitors and to answer someone else’s question we have sectioned and non sectioned patients mixed on a ward - so not everyone will be under section.

Depending on the type of section and the type of leave restrictions in place you may be able to visit off the ward perhaps at the hospital cafe/ canteeen, but this needs pre agreement with the consultant and team. I am really concerned that this ward is using blanket restrictions and that the patients best interests are potentially not forefront in the decision making of the unit leaders.

I would call the ward and see if visiting could be permitted- if no joy please talk to Pals about next steps.

@cheerypip i hope you get an answer and your family member makes a recovery
Also, I digress slightly, do take care of yourself. It is a lot to process and inevitably takes it toll upon families who do a lot of unseen & unacknowledged support.
if your relative is detained on a s3 they are entitled to s117 aftercare for their support needs on discharge This will be written up at the discharge planning meeting

Oh, that's so nice to say, thank you so much. I must admit I did rise to it initially and then thought no, it's not fair to derail OPs post.

Yes, I'm pleased with the more humane approach too. It's so important not to just 'lock away' our patients as institutionalisation makes things worse for them.

I do think it is sad that there is still so much stigma around being sectioned and I think some comments on here show why. Hopefully it might help a little for people to hear that sectioned people are just like you and me in many ways - they can enjoy a coffee out or a look round the shops or even a day trip! 😊