Visiting information and keeping in touch

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As well as visiting in person we offer lots of other services including virtual visiting to help you keep in touch with your family and friends in hospital.

If you’d like to use any of these services contact our patient experience team on

01535 294019 or anhsft.patientadvice@nhs.net

Virtual Visits should be arranged directly with the ward

Member of staff doing a virtual visit with an ipad

We are very pleased to welcome visitors to our hospitals, Airedale General and Castleberg

The health, safety and wellbeing of our patients, communities and staff, remains our priority. We understand that families are eager to visit their loved ones, but we need to ensure this is done safely and national advice for infection prevention is followed.

Our wards can be very busy environments. To ensure all patients have the opportunity to see their loved ones, there may be occasions when we ask you to leave the ward temporarily, to help us safely manage visiting numbers.

When you visit, we ask that you are respectful of other patients’ privacy, dignity and need for rest.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

 

29 May 2026: we are carrying out essential lift repair works for the lifts in zone B, which serve our maternity/paediatric services.

Please be aware that if you are visiting ward 21 (maternity) and our Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) that access is currently via the stairs.

If you are attending our Maternity Assessment Centre or a community midwife clinic, and you are unable to use the stairs, please use the antenatal clinic carpark.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Adult in-patient wards:

  • Visiting is encouraged between 1pm-8pm. Flexible visiting arrangements can be discussed with ward staff, senior sisters or charge nurses.
  • Visits are limited to two visitors per bed. Visitors may be asked to briefly leave the ward for staff to perform essential jobs, protect mealtimes and to ensure that patients have privacy and dignity.
  • Faith leaders are welcome to visit.
  • A face mask may be required in some clinical areas and you will advised by clinical staff as to when this is necessary. You do not need to wear a face mask in other parts of the building such as the corridors or the restaurant.
  • Visitors may choose to wear a face mask but this is not a requirement unless advised to do so.
  • Carers are welcome to continue to support patients during their stay on the ward.

When you should not visit:

  • If you have any symptoms of respiratory infection (cough/cold/flu symptoms), diarrhoea or vomiting .

Other wards and departments:

  • Emergency Department and Outpatients Department – these departments are often very busy and waiting area space is limited. Please consider how many people accompany you to the department.
  • Elective Surgery (Ward 20) – visitors are not permitted to stay with patients once they have been admitted to the ward.
  • Acute Assessment Unit – 1pm -8pm
  • Critical Care 1pm-7pm. Two visitors per bed. All visitors are required to report to the reception.
  • Castleberg Hospital – 11am – 8pm, two visitors per bed.

Prenatal Scans:

  • Women are welcome to have one adult in attendance with them for ultrasound scans.

Labour Ward:

  • During established labour, birthing partners may accompany you at all times. Every effort will be made to accommodate one birth partner overnight if required however this cannot always be guaranteed and facilities for partners are limited.
  • If you are admitted for induction of labour, birthing partners can remain with you during the day but will be encouraged to go home after.

Ward 21:

Neonatal Unit:

  • Those with parental responsibility have 24 hours open visiting to the unit. For all other visitors, please speak to the nursing staff who will be able to advise based on individual baby and family circumstances.

Visiting the Children’s Ward (Ward 17):

  • Three visitors per bed are welcome on the ward during the day between 11am – 7pm.
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • One parent or carer may stay with the child overnight.

Flexible visiting arrangements:

  • Flexible visiting will be supported for carers of patients. Please discuss with a member of staff about carer arrangements.

You no longer need to book your visit in advance for most of our wards.

You should contact the ward before your visit if:

  • You are visiting the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) on Ward 26
  • Your are visiting Harden Ward at Castleberg Hospital
  • You would like to discuss visiting outside of the usual hours (exceptional circumstances only)

hospital entrance
It optional whether you wear a mask in hospital communal, non-clinical areas and hospital corridors.  Masks must still be worn on wards and in clinical areas. Masks are available at the hospital and ward entrances.

Please ask the clinical department that you are visiting for specific guidance on mask wearing in that area.

hands and soap
Clean your hands using the disinfectant hand sanitiser provided or soap and water where available:

  • on arrival to the hospital on entering the ward/department
  • when putting on or taking off any personal protective equipment (PPE) or face coverings
  • on leaving the patient’s bed space
  • on leaving the ward or department
  • on leaving the hospital building
  • as soon as you get home

Please stay to the left of all corridors as marked on the floor.  You should dispose of your mask at the PPE bins provided.

We are offering a virtual visiting service using iPads so you can virtually meet with your loved one. They will be supported with the visit by a member of our ward staff.

What do I need for a visit?

You need an email address, a Wi-Fi connection or mobile data and a smart device (Apple or Android) or PC/Laptop with webcam and microphone. Click here to watch this short video for more information

How long are visits?

We’re suggesting 20-30 minutes for a visit.

Can more than one relative join a visit?

Yes but we do not suggest more than two people joining at once. You will both need to login to the waiting room on your separate devices.

How do I arrange a visit?

You should contact the ward directly to arrange your visit and they will discuss a mutually agreed time with you.

What do I need to do?

At the time agreed with the ward, you should click into one of the waiting rooms below. Please only click the link if you have pre-booked a visit.

If you’re not familiar with the technology, test the link in advance of your visit to check it works.

For wards 9, 13, 14, 18, 19 and AAU, please use this link:
https://nhs.vc/virtual-visiting-for-families-carers-hot-wards

For wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, Castleberg, Neonatal and Maternity please use this link:
https://nhs.vc/virtual-visiting-for-families-and-carers

For Intensive Care Unit (ICU) please use this link:
https://nhs.vc/icu-virtual-visiting

If you have a visit that you have arranged with our Chaplaincy Department please use this link:

https://nhs.vc/AiredaleChaplaincy 

I’m having problems, what should I do?

  • Ensure you have allowed the website to access the camera and microphone on your device
  • Ensure you have opened the link in Google, Google Chrome or Safari
  • If you are using an iPhone or iPad, close other apps running in the background on your device
  • Our ward staff may have arranged a time with you but may be delayed, wait for up to 10 minutes and contact the ward if you are still waiting to be seen after this time

If you are unable to visit your loved one in hospital, we have set up a dedicated ‘Sending Hugs’ service so you can send them get well wishes.

We can also supply and send your loved one a greetings card with a message of your choice.

Upon receipt of your request we will:

– print your letter and laminate any photographs OR
– print your e-card or hand write one

If you would like to make a request, please email anhsft.virtualvisiting@nhs.net attaching the letter and photographs.

You can design your card using this website. Once finished, email it to the above address. We will print it off for you and send it to your loved one.

If you are not able to send us an email, please phone 01535 294027

You must provide your loved one’s (the patient’s) full name, date of birth and ward they are staying on.

There is no charge for the Sending Hugs service; however any donations to our Airedale Hospital & Community Charity are greatly appreciated.  Click here to go the Airedale Hospital and Community Charity website.

For Infection Prevention guidance around visiting the hospital, please visit https://www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk/service/infection-prevention-and-control/.

You can read our visitors charter here:

Visitors Charter

The NHS App is a simple and secure way to receive messages from your trusted health care providers.

Make sure to turn on notifications for the NHS App to stay up to date.

Download the NHS App or find the same services on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app

Donations to our Airedale Hospital & Community Charity and to Friends of Airedale are incredibly generous and we are extremely grateful.  We are delighted to welcome donors on site so that they can see the difference their donations make.

Please remember, however, that we are a hospital and caring for our patients is our first priority.  To support your visit please read these guidelines, which have been developed by the Airedale Hospital & Community Charity team.