Hospital bosses have comfirmed they will allow visitors onto some wards again from Monday. 

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed patients at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals will be allowed one visitor from next week. 

Visiting times will be between 2-3pm, and 6-7pm. 

However, bosses are asking visitors to make arrangements with nurses and doctors before seeing their loved ones due to restrictions in place. 

In a statement, the trust said: "To ensure we can maintain social distancing we will only be able to have two visitors in a bay at any one time, so this will need to be by prior arrangement with ward staff.

"Not all patients can bring a visitor when attending the emergency department.

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"To ensure the safety of both staff and patients only vulnerable patients who require complex/difficult decision making may be accompanied by one close family contact, or somebody important to the patient, to support them.

"This applies to outpatients and diagnosis settings as well.

"All visitors will have to adhere to all the infection control guidelines, including wearing PPE."

Patients in critical care (non-covid areas) will be allowed one visitor – but by prior arrangement with the critical care unit.

Visitors are not allowed on to wards where patients have been isolating prior to admission.

The trust added: "We will keep these restrictions under constant review as the national guidance continues to change."