Visiting Restrictions Guidance

2.1 Visiting guidance is a devolved responsibility. However, the Welsh Government is committed to working with the UK Government and devolved Governments to develop shared principles where it will be helpful. 2.2 The Welsh Government will make sure future guidance considers people’s rights, wellbeing and care needs, whilst also keeping people safe from infection. The Welsh Government agrees with the Inquiry that any restrictions on visiting should be based on evidence, local circumstances, risk, reviewed regularly and kept in place only for as long as needed. 2.3 In Wales, we will build on existing visiting guidance and learning from the pandemic to develop a clearer national approach that supports consistent decision‑making, while allowing decisions to reflect local circumstances, pressure on services and levels of risk. 2.4 The Welsh Government recognises the valuable contribution that people with lived experience can make to the development of future policy and guidance. As we develop our future approach, we will actively seek opportunities to engage with patients, families, carers and representative organisations, including through Llais, the independent statutory body established to ensure the voices of people across Wales influence the planning, delivery and improvement of health and social care services at local, regional and national levels. 2.5 We are committed to ensuring that the experiences, perspectives, and insights of those directly affected by visiting restrictions are heard and meaningfully considered. Through ongoing engagement and co‑production, these experiences will help inform, shape, and strengthen future policy, guidance, and decision‑making, ensuring our approach reflects the needs and priorities of the people and communities we serve.

2.6 The future approach will be guided by the principle that access to family members, carers and those who provide essential support continues, wherever it is safe and practical. For many people, these relationships are not simply a social benefit, but an essential component of compassionate, safe and effective care. Particular consideration will be given to individuals who may be more highly affected by restrictions on contact because they rely on the support of family members, carers or advocates to maintain their wellbeing, communication, understanding, orientation, decision‑making or engagement with care. This may include people who are nearing the end of life, as well as those with significant cognitive, communication or care needs meaning that the presence of a trusted individual forms an important part of their care and support. We will also ensure that these principles are applied consistently across the NHS in Wales, but are also considered in care settings, recognising that people experience care across organisational boundaries. 2.7 The Welsh Government recognises that some UK nations have introduced, or are considering, legislative approaches to support visiting rights and responsibilities. In Wales, our priority is to establish a clear set of principles and a national approach that support consistent, compassionate and proportionate decisions during future public health emergencies or pandemics. 2.8 This work will support a compassionate, proportionate and person‑centred approach to visiting during future pandemics, while also helping to protect public health and keep patients, staff and visitors safe.

The Scottish Government accepts this recommendation.

The Scottish Government’s Hospital Visiting: Guidance for Health Boards, developed during the Covid-19 pandemic and updated as restrictions eased, recognises that support from those who matter most to a patient is fundamental to wellbeing, recovery and quality of care.

The Scottish Government recognises the evidence presented to the Inquiry and wider research published since the pandemic demonstrating the adverse consequences of overly restrictive visiting arrangements, including impacts on patient wellbeing, care quality, family involvement and psychological outcomes for patients, relatives and staff. The experiences shared by bereaved families have directly informed our response and further reinforced the importance of ensuring that people can maintain in-person contact with those who matter most to them. Recent comments from CIREG further emphasise the importance of visiting and the need to ensure that guidance is universally understood and consistently applied across all adult and children’s settings. Collectively, these findings reinforce Scotland's commitment to maintaining access to those who matter most to the patient.

In response to learnings from the pandemic, Scotland has taken proactive action to strengthen oversight and governance arrangements relating to hospital visiting. This includes the development of a national risk assessment process and escalation arrangements to ensure that any restrictions introduced by NHS Boards are proportionate, justified, time-limited and subject to appropriate scrutiny. Where restrictions are considered necessary, NHS Boards are expected to continue facilitating essential in-person visiting wherever possible. Essential visiting is in-person support from a person whose presence is necessary to ensure the patient's wellbeing, care, safety, communication or compassionate support, including during periods of restricted visiting.

The Scottish Government will continue to review and strengthen its guidance and supporting arrangements to ensure that, in any future pandemic or similar public health emergency, hospital visiting restrictions are applied consistently, transparently and proportionately, while protecting patient wellbeing, maintaining access to people who matter most to the patient and supporting compassionate care.

The government recognises the importance of human connection and contact with those who matter most, which are fundamental to people’s health and wellbeing. We agree with the Inquiry recommendation to publish additional guidance on visiting restrictions, to support decision-making in the event of a future pandemic.

No statement on delivery from Department of Health and Social Care has been found in the sources searched. This is separate from the response above.