Our hospital's current visitor information

At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, we recognize the valuable role family, friends and significant others play in your recovery. As such, we welcome visitors to participate in your care while you stay with us.

To get the most enjoyment from your visitors without compromising your health and the care you need, we recommend asking your loved ones to follow these guidelines:

  • All visitors must wear shirts and shoes.
  • Ask permission from the nursing staff to take patients from their rooms during your visit.
  • Avoid visiting if you have a cold, cough, sore throat or communicable disease.
  • Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult and should have received all appropriate immunizations.
  • Before bringing animals to visit, ask permission from the nursing supervisor.
  • Before visiting, check with the nurse and follow dietary requirements or restrictions regarding bringing food and drink to patients.
  • For safety, only bring non-latex balloons to the pediatric unit.
  • Please comply with our strict no-firearms policy.
  • Refrain from bringing flowers to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Space is extremely limited and we need access to necessary equipment.

Visits may be interrupted and you may be asked to leave the room when treatments are delivered or if patients are scheduled for tests or treatments in other locations.

If you are planning on staying overnight, explore our extensive amenities for patients and visitors and ask the nursing staff about arranging overnight accommodations.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours will vary from unit to unit based on both patient and hospital needs. For the most up-to-date visiting hours, contact the nurses station in the unit you are attempting to visit.

Special guidelines will apply if you are visiting the ICU, sometimes referred to as the critical care unit (CCU). For patients staying in our behavioral health unit, review behavioral health visitor information.

Visitor infection prevention

Be aware of your responsibility as a visitor for infection prevention. Handwashing is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. Wash your hands before and after making contact with patients, after using the bathroom, after handling contaminated items, before eating and before preparing food for someone else to eat.

Comply with notices on patients' doors concerning isolation precautions, such as "Contact Precautions," "Droplet Precautions," or "Airborne Precautions." Before entering the room, ask the nursing staff for any pertinent patient information to ensure the safest possible visits.