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Publication - Advice and guidance

Hospital visiting: guidance for health boards

Last updated
23 August 2023 - see all updates
Directorate
Healthcare Quality and Improvement Directorate
Part of
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland, Health and social care

Enabling family support for people in hospital in Scotland.

This document is part of a collection

End of life care

If a person in hospital is nearing the end of life, they should be supported to spend as much meaningful time as they wish with their loved ones in the final days, weeks and months of their life. 

It can often be difficult to identify when someone is nearing the end of life and interpretations of ‘end of life’ may differ across clinical settings. It is not appropriate to define a set time period for ‘end of life’ care in this context. Clinical teams should adopt as compassionate and broad an approach as possible.

 

Contact

If you have feedback on this guidance please email: HQIBMT@gov.scot

First published
19 November 2020
Last updated
23 August 2023 - show all updates

  1. Updates throughout.

  2. Updated in line with latest guidance.

  3. Edits to Children. Added Maternity and neonatal.

  4. Updated Coronavirus (COVID-19): maternity and neonatal settings visiting guidance PDF.

  5. Maternity and neonatal settings visiting guidance PDF updated.

  6. Maternity and neonatal settings visiting guidance PDF updated.

  7. Spiritual care guidance updated.

  8. Updated to reflect current position.

  9. Added further information on spiritual care.

  10. Updated to reflect current position.

  11. Maternity and neonatal information updated.

  12. HTML version of guidance, checklist and risk assessment added, previous guidance removed to reflect current position.

  13. Updated guidance added - will apply from 26 April 2021.

  14. Published updated visiting guidance.

  15. Published updated maternity and neonatal settings visiting guidance

  16. Published updated maternity and neonatal settings visiting guidance.

  17. Updated to reflect new protection levels

  18. Added specific visiting guidance for maternity and neonatal units.

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