We know how important visiting is for our patients, their families, friends and carers. To help protect our patients, staff and visitors, and ensure safe visiting during the current increase in COVID infection rates, all patients and visitors to East Surrey Hospital will be required to wear a face mask whilst in clinical areas. These will be provided for you at our hospital entrances. The wearing of masks in non-clinical areas remains optional.

Our current guidance is set out below. We will keep this under regular review in order to keep everyone safe.

  • There is now open visiting across most of our wards that look after people for unplanned care.
  • You can visit between 8am and 8pm and do not need to book a visit in advance (any visiting after 8pm should be discussed with the nurse in charge).
  • Please do not visit if you have any symptoms of COVID or any other infections (such as a temperature or diarrhoea / vomiting).
  • Please do not visit if you have had a positive COVID test in the last seven days.
  • Please wear a face covering in our clinical areas.
  • Face masks are provided at the entrance to East Surrey Hospital.
  • If the patient you would like to visit has had a positive COVID test in the last seven days then visiting is only permitted in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the team in charge of the patient’s care to discuss your requirements before coming to the hospital.

  • Open visiting with a maximum of two visitors per patient only.

All women/visitors should be vigilant for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 infection and to test accordingly. All patients and visitors to East Surrey Hospital will also be required to wear a face mask whilst in clinical areas.

  • Two allocated birth partners (those present at the birth) are welcome 8am – 8pm.
  • Maximum of one birth partner overnight 8pm – 8am. We encourage birth partners to rest at home overnight when possible.
  • Quiet time is between 1pm – 3pm. Birth partners are welcome to stay in this time but please limit moving around the ward, entering and exiting the ward and keep noise to a minimum. No other visitors are permitted during this time.
  • Between 4pm – 6pm, siblings of the baby are welcome to visit.
  • Children, except siblings, are not permitted on the ward.
  • Family and friends are welcome to visit between 4pm and 8pm.  
  • No more than two adults are permitted at the bedside at any time.
  • This includes in our side rooms.

Please see our maternity pages for more details.

  • Two parents / carers can be with each child (we are sorry that currently no siblings are allowed)
  • Neonatal unit: Both parents / a carer for a baby

Patients are welcome to have someone accompany them to visits to the emergency department, outpatient appointments and appointments for diagnostic tests such as scans, x-rays or blood tests.

Fixed hearing loops are available at East Surrey Hospital in all main reception areas. Patients are able to request from our members of staff a portable hearing loop for use in clinic rooms when attending outpatient appointments.

While visiting restrictions are in place, we have set up an email address so you can email us with your messages. We’ll write them up and deliver them to your loved ones.

Please make sure to include the patient name and ward in your email to sash.patientmessages@nhs.net.

If you would like to do a video call with a loved one who is in hospital, we have people on hand to help organise it. Please contact the ward directly and they will be able to help facilitate the video call. Information about our wards can be found here.