Current visiting advice allows patients in most areas of Fife hospitals to receive two visitors at a time. There are no time restrictions on visits. Exceptions to this are where essential visiting is in operation and where we have introduced visiting by appointment - see below.
In order to reduce and monitor the number of visitors in each bay, NHS Fife is temporarily introducing a system of booked visiting slots in the following hospitals:
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your patience in this matter. As always, the motivation behind this move, is to ensure patient and visitor safety during unprecedented levels of demand on our healthcare services as well as to protect staff in order to ensure continued high levels of service.
To book a visiting time slot, please call the ward you want to visit in advance.
Essential visiting is in operation in a small number of our wards currently.
The following are currently permitted only for essential visiting. Note that this list is updated daily so if you are in any doubt about whether you can visit, please do not hesitate to contact the ward and nurse in charge to discuss your personal circumstances.
There are a number of areas where visiting is considered to be essential and will continue to be permitted. Anyone who wishes to discuss a specific visiting requirement, can discuss this with nurse-in charge in person.
Further details can be found on the following links Maternity / End of Life Care /Mental Health/Learning Disabilities / Children’s Department.
This position will be kept under regular review.
Visitors to hospitals no longer need to take LFD COVID-19 tests before their visit. However, we do ask thatvisitors use COVID sense:
Current rules on wearing face masks in hospitals can be found on our face masks guidance for NHS Fife page.
Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland continue to 'strongly recommend' if you are 12 or over, that you continue to wear a face covering in indoor public places and on public transport to help protect yourself and others.
Wash your hands and use hand gels provided, particularly when you arrive and leave
Please do not visit your friends and loved ones if you feel unwell
Visitors should not bring in food parcels, flowers, helium balloons or similar items
Patients can receive two visitors at a time with no time restrictions
Movement around the hospital will be limited - please do not visit other patients
Maintain physical distancing in clinical areas. See our Distance Aware page for best practice in communal areas.
Please wear a fluid resistant surgical mask - these will be available on arrival. See more
Catering facilities will not be available and please do not eat or drink in a ward environment
At times it may be necessary to restrict visiting for short periods of time for specific reasons. For example, if there is an outbreak of an infection such as COVID-19 in a ward it is normal practice to restrict visiting until the outbreak is under control. Even in these circumstances we would expect essential visits to be able to continue where required. Some examples of situations include, when someone is reaching the end of their life, if someone has dementia and needs family support, support for someone with a learning disability, a family member who has informal caring responsibilities, parents with a child in hospital and care relating to childbirth including both ante-natal and post-natal care. These examples are illustrative and are not an exhaustive list. Contact the ward and nurse in charge to discuss your personal circumstances.
Patients in most areas of Fife hospitals are allowed visits from two people at a time.
If you are visiting please remember to:
Unfortunately, due to current restrictions within the waiting areas, no children will be allowed to accompany parents at Antenatal Clinic / Day-care / Maternity Assessment appointments or within the Delivery suite areas.
Parents own children (siblings of the newborn) will be welcome to visit within the maternity ward area, out with quiet time.
Quiet Time runs from 230pm until 430pm in our maternity wards.
The two-hour period where lights are dimmed and noise is kept to a minimum. This helps in the developmental care of the newborn and allows mothers to rest.
Only one birth partner will be able to stay during quiet time.
Where in-person support is not possible, a patient can be supported by alternatives such as virtual visiting using tablets or mobiles.