VISITING times for all wards and hospitals run by one of the region's biggest hospital trusts are being standardised to avoid confusion.

Routine visiting at hospitals run by the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be from 3pm to 8pm daily from April 1 with open visiting allowed in specific areas such as maternity, children’s wards and acute admissions.

The changes affect wards at the following hospitals: The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough; Friarage Hospital in Northallerton; Carter Bequest Primary Care Hospital in Middlesbrough; East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital in Brotton; Guisborough Primary Care Hospital; Lambert Memorial Community Hospital in Thirsk;Redcar Primary Care Hospital and The Friary Community Hospital in Richmond The changes have been introduced following patient experience feedback and to help further reduce healthcare associated infections.

Relatives are now able to visit at any time between 3pm and 8pm and can assist the patient with their evening meals where appropriate.

It is hoped that the extended visiting hours will encourage visitors to arrive at different times which will help staff enforce infection control rules such as having no more than two visitors to each bed at any time.

Standardised visiting times should also be less confusing for relatives, especially when patients are moving between wards, and hospital bosses hope that extended hours should help ease traffic congestion, particularly on the James Cook site.