'He'll think we have abandoned him': Anguish as visiting restrictions return at North East hospitals
Lynne Donnelly speaking to ITV Tyne Tees
Families say they are concerned about the mental health of relatives in hospitals as new visiting restrictions come into force at several North East hospitals.
A number of hospitals in the North East and North Yorkshire have suspended most adult inpatient visiting amid rising Covid-19 cases.
Four trusts in the North East have now reintroduced visiting restrictions, with visits to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead becoming the latest to be "temporarily stopped".
On Saturday 1 January, visiting all adult inpatient wards at South Tyneside and Sunderland hospitals was suspended.
A similar decision was also taken at the University Hospital of North Tees on 1 January.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust suspended visits to all adult inpatient wards on the morning of Monday 3 January.
The trust says they did so following a "significant increase in Covid-19 cases".
The Trust said iPads are available on their wards to enable virtual visiting.
On the evening of Monday 3 January, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead announced that "visiting is being temporarily stopped from Tuesday 4 January 2022" with exemptions.
Meanwhile, visiting restrictions have already been in place before Christmas at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (on 22 December).
George Murray, 90, was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead on August 6th. His daughter, Lynne Donnelly, says the last time visiting restrictions were put in place her father thought the family had abandoned him.
Lynne has been to the hospital to visit her father every day since he was first admitted. She says he expects the visits because it's his only opportunity to see his family.
Ms Donnelly explained "He prefers me going in rather than putting people on Facetime for him to see. He's not very technical, he's 90. I don't think he'd cope to be honest. He's given up basically because he thinks to himself 'well what is the point anymore'.
"The last time they had a ban on hospital visiting he was only in for 3 weeks. He came out and wouldn't speak to anybody because he said his whole family had abandoned him. So in his mind he feels as though nobody wants him anymore."
Click the links below to see what exemptions apply across the trusts, as these may vary. Alternatively, contact the relevant ward to discuss individual circumstances.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust