Hospital visits are being suspended days before a second national lockdown.

Bosses at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham have announced their decision to suspend visiting at the hospital amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The changes will come in tomorrow (Tuesday) until further notice.

A statement on the NHS Medway Foundation Trust website reads: "Unfortunately we have had to take the difficult decision to suspend visiting at the hospital from Tuesday, November 3 until further notice.

"This includes visiting patients on the ward and attending with a relative who may be attending a routine appointment in main or specialty outpatients, including maternity."

It added that the "only exceptional circumstances" where one visitor or companion – an immediate family member or carer – would be permitted to visit or attend were if the patient was receiving end-of-life care, patients with learning disabilities, patients with delirium, a woman in labour (who may have one birthing partner), and a parent or appropriate adult visiting a child.

The statement added: "We know how worrying it can be for people unable to visit family and friends in hospital during these worrying times.

"You can keep in touch with your family member or loved one by sending an email with family updates, photos or drawings to medwayft.patientexperience@nhs.net - which will be passed onto the patient (please include the patient’s name and ward), and of course by calling the ward.

"We fully appreciate that this is a difficult situation but we must put all the measures in place to protect our patients, staff and community and stop the spread of the virus.

"We thank you for your cooperation and understanding."

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