ICU Visiting Hours

Ward guideLast verified 13 September 2026

CCU visiting hours normally sit under a hospital’s intensive care rules. CCU usually means coronary care unit, also called a cardiac intensive care unit, and published schedules group it with ICU and high care: Netcare Greenacres Hospital, for example, applies the same specialised-unit rules to ICU, high care, NICU and CCU. ICU visiting hours are usually stricter than general ward hours, and they vary by hospital.

Find your hospital: open the exact hospital page in our hospital visiting hours directory, then phone the ICU or CCU to confirm today’s visiting times before you travel.

What Are ICU Visiting Hours?

ICU visiting hours are the set times when close family may see a patient in an intensive care unit. So, does ICU have visiting hours? Yes. Every private hospital page we reviewed publishes either fixed ICU windows or a controlled flexible period, together with a limit on the number of people at the bedside. Critical care units in the same hospital, such as a cardiac ICU (CICU or CCU), a general ICU and a high care unit, may each have slightly different times.

What time is ICU visiting hours? Published examples

HospitalICU / CCU visiting times as published
Mediclinic Sandton, Mediclinic Cape Town, Mediclinic Bloemfontein, Mediclinic Heart HospitalICU / High Care: 11:00–20:00; two visitors per bed
Mediclinic Panorama, Mediclinic Louis LeipoldtVisiting 09:00–20:00 with rest 13:00–15:00; two visitors per ICU patient
Life Westville HospitalCardiac ICU (CICU): 11:00–12:00, 15:00–16:00, 19:00–20:00; ICU: 11:00–12:00, 19:00–20:00
Life Hilton Private HospitalICU and high care: 11:00–12:00, 15:00–16:00, 19:00–20:00
Life Kingsbury HospitalICU and high care: 11:00–12:00 (at the unit manager’s or sister’s discretion), 15:00–16:00, 19:15–20:15
Life Wilgers Hospital, Life Carstenhof HospitalICUs and high care: 15:00–16:00, 19:00–20:00; two family members per patient
Life Wilgeheuwel HospitalAdult ICUs: two visitors per patient per day, 15:00–16:00 and 19:15–20:15
Life St George’s HospitalIntensive care units: 15:00–16:30 and 19:00–20:00
Netcare Greenacres Hospital (notice effective April 2022)15:00–16:00 and 19:00–20:00; the 11:00–11:30 slot excludes ICU, high care, NICU and CCU
Sources: Mediclinic Stay & Visit pages, Life Healthcare facility pages, Netcare Greenacres Hospital visiting notice (checked 13 September 2026). Schedules change; confirm with the unit before visiting.

Public hospitals tend to manage ICU visits case by case. The Gauteng Department of Health’s notice on Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital sets general visiting at 13:00–15:00 from 1 September 2025, and says special arrangements continue for patients in critical care and end-of-life situations.

Why Ward Visiting Hours Can Differ

Intensive care patients need constant monitoring, frequent procedures and infection control, so ICU times are built around nursing handovers, ward rounds and rest. Netcare’s hospital stay guidance notes that visiting times, restrictions and resting times may differ between hospitals and for specific wards. Mediclinic says visitors may be asked to leave during procedures. Many hospitals also make exceptions for critically ill patients: Life West Coast Private Hospital says family visits may be allowed by special arrangement with the unit manager or hospital manager.

Typical Visitor Restrictions

  • Only immediate family members may visit ICU patients, and only two visitors at a time (Netcare hospital stay page).
  • No flowers are permitted in ICU (Netcare).
  • Tell staff when you enter, and expect to step out during procedures (Netcare; Mediclinic).
  • Immediate family only at Life Hilton Private Hospital’s ICU and high care.
  • Anyone ill or recently exposed to illness is discouraged from visiting (Life West Coast Private Hospital).
  • Wash or sanitise hands before and after every visit (Netcare).

Weekend & Public Holiday Visits

The ICU schedules we reviewed do not publish separate weekend or public-holiday times, so do not assume extra slots are available on those days. Where a public hospital states that hours include weekends, as Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital does for its general visiting hours, critical care visits are still arranged separately. Phone the unit before a weekend or holiday visit, and see our weekend hospital visiting guide.

Children and Number of Visitors

  • Netcare: children under 12 are not allowed in intensive and high care units; two visitors at a time in ICU.
  • Life Hilton, Life Kingsbury, Life Wilgers and Life Carstenhof: no visitors under 12 in ICU or high care.
  • Mediclinic: a maximum of two visitors per bed in critical care units.
  • Life Wilgeheuwel Hospital: two visitors per adult ICU patient per day.

If a child needs to see a very ill parent or grandparent, ask the unit manager in advance. Some hospitals, such as Life West Coast Private Hospital, allow children under 12 only by prior arrangement with the unit or hospital manager.

What to Bring

Bring the patient’s full name, the unit name (for example ICU, CCU or cardiac ICU) and your own ID in case access control asks for it. Keep belongings to a minimum, switch your phone to silent, and leave flowers, food and gifts at home unless the nurses say otherwise. A short list of questions for the doctor or sister helps you use the visit well.

How to Confirm the Current Schedule

  • Find the exact hospital page in our hospital visiting hours directory or search for hospitals near you.
  • Phone the hospital switchboard and ask to be put through to the ICU or CCU itself, not only reception, because ward rules can differ from general visiting hours.
  • Ask three things: today’s visiting windows (including any rest or handover periods), how many visitors may be at the bedside, and whether children are allowed.
  • Ask whether weekend or public-holiday arrangements are different, and whether you need to be on a named visitor list.
  • Check the hospital’s own website visitor page on the day, since group pages can be updated without notice.

Check before you travel: ICU visiting hours change at short notice. Find your hospital in our hospital visiting hours directory and confirm with the unit, and read our hospital visiting rules guide for general etiquette.

Hospitals with Relevant Ward Information

These hospital pages carry facility-specific visiting information, including critical care units where verified. See also our high care visiting hours and NICU visiting hours guides, or browse Mediclinic hospitals, Netcare hospitals and Life Healthcare hospitals.

  • Ethekwini Hospital
  • Unitas Hospital
  • Westville Hospital
  • Milpark Hospital
  • Tygerberg Hospital
  • Chatsmed Hospital
  • Entabeni Hospital
  • Mount Edgecombe Hospital
  • Steve Biko Hospital
  • Helen Joseph Hospital
  • St Augustine Hospital
  • Panorama Hospital
  • Sandton Clinic
  • Eugene Marais Hospital
  • Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
  • Garden City Hospital
  • Vincent Pallotti Hospital
  • Kloof Hospital
  • Greenacres Hospital
  • Wilgers Hospital
  • Donald Gordon Hospital
  • Groenkloof Hospital
  • Midstream Hospital
  • Morningside Hospital
  • St Georges Hospital

Facility pages for this section are being verified and will appear here as they are published. In the meantime, use the hospital visiting hours directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are CCU visiting hours the same as ICU visiting hours?

Often they are grouped together, but not always. Life Westville Hospital publishes different times for its cardiac ICU and its general ICU, so check the exact unit.

Can I visit outside ICU visiting hours?

Only by arrangement. Several hospitals allow extra visits for critically ill or end-of-life patients if agreed with the unit manager or hospital manager.

Sources & Last Verified

Last verified: 13 September 2026.

The CCU definition was cross-checked against a secondary reference. The Netcare Greenacres Hospital notice is dated April 2022 and must be confirmed with the hospital.