VISITING restrictions are being relaxed at York Hospital, despite high numbers of Covid patients and rising numbers of cases in the community.

The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that two visitors per patient at a time are now permitted, and can stay for up to two hours.

It also said visiting could be extended beyond two hours, for one visitor, at the discretion of the nurse in charge when the family member or carer could provide a level of enhanced care to the patient, which could be of assistance with basic care needs such as eating, drinking or mental wellbeing, for instance.

Prospective visitors are asked to contact the ward to plan and book their visit so that staff can confirm what time is best for them to attend.

They will also be able to confirm if there are any specific infection prevention and control measures in place which may prevent visiting.

The trust warned: "There is a risk that the visiting appointment may be cancelled on arrival for protection of patients but we try to ensure this is kept to a minimum."

It said face coverings should still be worn at all times unless medically exempt and all visitors were asked to undertake a lateral flow test, which must give a negative result prior to attending.

Visiting remained restricted on Covid positive wards or where visiting may pose a risk to highly vulnerable patients being exposed to visitors within the bay.

The trust brought in tough visiting restrictions around the New Year in response to the surge in Covid cases caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Patients could only have the same single visitor each day, staying for a maximum of an hour a day.

The rule was first relaxed in mid-February when adifferent family members or friends were allowed to visit patients, although this had to be on a separate day and still only one visitor per day.

Earlier this week, the family of an 86-year-old patient who has been allowed only two hospital visits in four weeks at York Hospital described the restrictions as 'unacceptable and cruel'.

The trust also revealed earlier this week that some routine operations were being postponed, partly because of a rise in the number of patients with Covid to almost 200 at York and Scarborough hospitals combined.

The trust said yesterday after announcing the relaxtion of restrictions: "We do understand how important it is for patients to remain connected with their family, friends and carers when they come into hospital and we continually review our visiting guidance so that when it is safe to relax visiting restrictions, we do so."