VISITORS will now be able to see their loved ones in hospital after an easing in restrictions.

Patients who have been in Colchester Hospital for more than 48 hours are now permitted to have one visitor per day.

They will only be allowed to stay for 45 minutes and an appointment will have to be pre-booked by calling ahead to the ward the patient one is on.

Staggered visiting times from 10am until 9pm will be introduced in order to keep people apart as much as possible.

Melissa Dowdeswell, chief nurse at the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, urged people to work with them to make the new system work.

“We are asking for everyone’s help in making these new visiting hours work and are also asking you to bear with us as we introduce this new system,” she said.

“We are asking visitors to book a ‘time’ for your visit by calling the ward caring for the patient you want to visit.

“Please ring between 10am and 3pm on weekdays only.

“All of the ward telephone numbers can be found on our website.

“Visitors should wear a face covering when you come to the hospital to visit.

“Also make sure you observe social distancing at all times and do not linger in shops or communal areas.”

Some areas of the hospital will remain off limits, including critical care units.

Patients can have up to three different visitors, but each visit must be booked by one person - likely their next of kin, even if it is on behalf of someone else.

Visiting was tightly restricted by the trust in March after the coronavirus outbreak with very few people allowed on site.

Only parents of sick children, birthing partners of women in labour and those seeing patients at the end of their life were allowed in under the tight guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.

The trust is also offering a service called Letters To Loved Ones which allows people to keep in touch despite the restrictions on visitors.

Emails for patients can be sent to letterstolovedones@esneft.nhs.uk or voice messages can be left by calling 07876 843039.

For full details about how to ensure messages reach the correct patient, visit esneft.nhs.uk/letters-to-loved-ones.