Visiting Hours and Information

Brant Community Healthcare System Visiting Hours and Information

Brant Community Healthcare System has updated its visitor policy effective July 22, 2021. We continue to review our hospital visitor policy and guidelines regularly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone at our hospital sites including patients, visitors, employees, physicians and volunteers.

Click here to read the convenient Visiting Guidelines information sheet.

Visitor Safety Guidelines to Follow While Inside the Hospital:

Must pass screening for COVID-19 before coming inside the hospital.
Wear the mask provided at screening at all times.
Clean your hands when you enter the building, when entering and exiting the patient’s room, during your stay and when you leave.
Put on the appropriate personal protective equipment as shown on the sign posted outside the patient’s room.
Maintain physical distancing of six feet (two metres) from others and follow the signs that limit the number of people in rooms and elevators.
Stay in the patient’s room for the duration of the visit. Going for walks is not currently permitted, unless to use a public washroom. Visitors must not visit common areas located within the unit. Exceptions may be made for utilization of the Indigenous Family Space.
Do not eat or drink while inside the hospital.
Use public washroom(s) and not patient washrooms.

*Visitors/Essential Care Partners (ECPs) who refuse follow safety guidelines may lose their visiting privileges.*

Visitors are not permitted:

For patients in droplet/contact precautions with an Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) flag.
For patients with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or deemed a COVID contact.
For patients located on a unit in a COVID outbreak.
If they have tested positive for COVID or had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID.
If they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
If they been outside of Canada in the last 14 days and are required to isolate as per the Quarantine Act.

Emergency & Urgent Care

Visiting hours in the emergency department and urgent care centre are 24 hours a day, 7 day a week.

One visitor/ECP for Emergency Department and Urgent Care Centre patients. Two visitors/ECPs for a pediatric or labour and delivery patient.
The need for a visitor/ECP will be constantly re-assessed by the care team and support persons may be asked to leave at any time based upon conditions within the department.

Outpatient Care

Outpatient care patients are not permitted to have a visitor accompany them at this time, with some exceptions that must be approved in advance by clinic staff. These exceptions include:

Patients who cannot receive safe care or treatment without a family member/support person present. These include patients who are frail or elderly, live with dementia, a person who is non-verbal or severely disabled. In these cases and at the direction of the clinical team, a family member or caregiver may be required to accompany a patient.
The Cancer Clinic (Oncology) allows essential caregivers/support persons to be present as required. In addition to this, one visitor is permitted for the first clinic visit and the first treatment visit.

Inpatient Care

Patients admitted to the hospital (inpatients) are permitted one person at the patient’s bedside at any given time, with limited exceptional circumstances allowing for additional visitors/ECPs or visiting after-hours.

Inpatient visiting hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Patients will determine their visitors and/or Essential Care Partners (ECPs). Patients may designate up to 5 visitors and/or ECPs. Only 1 visitor/ECP can be onsite at a time.
Visitors/ECPs must coordinate with the patient and other visitors so that there is only one person at the bedside at any given time.
Visitors who enter the hospital must pass screening, check in at the nursing station on the unit and use the visitor sign in book.
Exceptions:
- Critical Care Unit: Visits on the critical care unit must be scheduled in advance. Please connect with the critical care team on the unit to make an appointment.
- Mental Health Inpatient Unit: Visiting hours on the Mental Health Inpatient Unit are weekdays from 2 – 8 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Visit are booked for 2 hours per visitor. Visits must be scheduled in advance. Please connect with the care team to make an appointment.

Exceptional Circumstances

Limited exceptions exist for allowing additional visitors/ECPs and after-hours visiting, including:

Compassionate Grounds

Compassionate grounds for a patient who is gravely ill or at end of life. Patients who are at end-of-life may have up to two visitors/ECPs at the bedside at a time, and an additional person who is a spiritual leader may also be present. Visiting may occur after hours in consultation with the care team.

Pediatric Unit, Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Family Birthing Centre

Two visitors/ECPs for all pediatric patients (under the age of 18) in the Emergency Department and inpatient units. One visitor/ECP after 8:00 p.m.
One visitor/ECP for pediatric outpatients (i.e. PARS & Bili Clinic).
Two visitors/ECPs for NICU patients. One visitor/ECP after 8:00 p.m.
Two support persons for a patient in labour. After birth, 1 support person for the duration of the hospitalization.
In the event of special circumstances, accommodations will be made as required.

As situations may be unique, the Clinical Manager or delegate will determine whether a visitor/ECP meets the exceptional criteria and will work with the clinical team, patient and family on compassionate expectations. In some situations, the appeals process may be triggered to assist in finding an agreeable resolution through the Patient Relations Department at extension 2395.

Visitors Entering BCHS Sites

All visitors must use the D-Wing entrance of Brantford General Hospital (BGH), and the Urgent Care Entrance at The Willett. Pediatric, NICU, Labour & Delivery, Dialysis & Diagnostic Imaging visitors may enter the Brantford General Hospital through the A-Wing Entrance.

After Your Visit

Before leaving the unit, visitors must sign-out of the Visitor Sign-In Book. Visitors will leave Brantford General Hospital through Door 22 located in D Wing Main floor. At The Willett, visitors exit through the Thrive/Life Labs area located on the first floor. If you have questions about the BCHS Visitor Policy, please contact a member of your loved one’s care team by calling Switchboard at 519-751-5544 extension 0.

Safe-Walk Program

To ensure safe and secure access to BCHS at any time of the day or night, Security Services offers the Safe-Walk Program. This program is available to all patients, visitors and staff members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Please call Security Services at 519-732-0581 or Ext. 4949 to use this service. Security Services personnel will meet you at a prearranged location to escort you between the hospital and your vehicle or the bus stops located in the immediate vicinity of the Hospital.