BRADFORD Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has updated its visiting rules in light of the staged easing of the national lockdown. 

Here's what you need to know: 

-Visiting for inpatients in our hospitals for over 14 days will commence from March 29.

-For all other patients, the Trust will only allow visits under the following exceptional circumstances:

Paediatric wards - two parents or carers can swap in and out for visits/stays once every 24 hours.

Labour Ward and Birth Centre - a birth partner can stay for the duration of labour. This person is not interchangeable.

M3 patients - one-hour visits at a pre-arranged time between 1-5pm (except on the day of discharge) from one dedicated person, the birth partner.

M4 patients -  one-hour visits at pre-arranged times (except on the day of discharge) from two dedicated people (separately), the birth partner and one nominated person (over 16 years).

Prenatal scans - women are allowed to have one adult with them at all scans. This person should be the birthing partner or from the same household or bubble.

AED department supportive visits - one visitor will be allowed to be present where the patient is being treated in the resuscitation area or the High Dependency Unit section of the Accident and Emergency department.

A Trust spokesperson said: "The Trust will continue to support end-of-life visits (maximum of two relatives only at any one time). If the patient has more than two children (over the age of 16), all may visit, providing there are no more than two visiting at any one time. 

"A carer can visit when the patient needs physical or cognitive support – with restrictions in place on the length of visit and number of visitors allowed. 

"Cognitive impairment is a catch-all term that covers a number of presentations but as a general rule includes: dementia patients; patients with a learning disabilites; patients who are subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) or have had a mental capacity assessment; patients who are subject to detention under the Mental Health Act; patients with a head injury

"The Trust has put in place a number of resources to support family members unable to visit patients: 

"Our Relatives’ Telephone Information Line takes calls for some of our wards. Please contact the ward or relatives’ line to see if the clinical area in question is using this service. Please call 01274 272747 from 8:15am to 5:30pm

"Thinking of you is a dedicated email address for loved ones to send letters via email to our patients: ThinkingOfYou@bthft.nhs.uk

"Many wards have video calling in place and may be able to assist with video calls when there is no visiting."

The dedicated patient property team can accept and take belongings to inpatients from 7.30am to 6.30pm.

"Please do not bring in too much and hot, fresh or perishable foodstuffs are not permitted."