SOME visiting restrictions have been relaxed across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Basildon Hospital and Thurrock Community Hospital on Long Lane, Grays.

As Covid-19 numbers in hospitals continue to fall, visitors are being welcomed back onto the wards. Patients will be able to see one visitor for an hour a day.

To keep people as safe as possible, it will have to be the same visitor every day, and they will need to book in with the ward ahead of their visit. Visitors are also being asked to take a lateral flow test before coming to the hospital.

Everyone in hospital needs to wear a mask, and anyone wearing their own fabric face covering should change it for a clean and fresh surgical face mask when they arrive.

Mask dispensers are available at all hospital main entrances, and there are also stocks of surgical masks in wards and departments.

This update to patient visiting does not affect visiting arrangements for end of life care, maternity and paediatric patients. Arrangements for these areas are unchanged. You can find the full rules and safety precautions for visitors here.