High Care Visiting Hours

Ward guideLast verified 13 September 2026

High care visiting hours are usually shorter and more tightly controlled than general ward hours, and in most official schedules we reviewed they follow the hospital’s ICU rules. Mediclinic Sandton, for example, lists ICU and high care visiting from 11:00 to 20:00 with two visitors per bed, while several Life Healthcare hospitals use short fixed windows. Always confirm with the unit itself.

Find your hospital: use our hospital visiting hours directory to open the exact hospital page, then confirm the high care unit’s current visiting schedule before you travel.

What Are High Care Visiting Hours?

A high care unit looks after patients who need closer nursing observation than a general ward can offer, often before or after a stay in intensive care. High care visiting hours are the windows in which close family may visit these patients. Because the patients are unstable or recovering from major treatment, hospitals limit both the times and the number of people at the bedside.

Published high care schedules

HospitalHigh care visiting times as published
Mediclinic Sandton, Mediclinic Cape Town, Mediclinic Bloemfontein, Mediclinic Heart HospitalICU / High Care Unit: 11:00–20:00; two visitors per bed in critical care
Life Westville HospitalHigh care: 11:00–12:00, 15:00–16:00, 19:00–20:00
Life Hilton Private HospitalICU and high care: 11:00–12:00, 15:00–16:00, 19:00–20:00; immediate family only
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 Vincent Pallotti HospitalAdult ICUs / high care: 15:00–16:00 and 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
Netcare Greenacres Hospital (notice effective April 2022)15:00–16:00 and 19:00–20:00; the 11:00–11:30 slot excludes high care and other specialised units
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.

Why Ward Visiting Hours Can Differ

High care sits between intensive care and the general wards, so hospitals set its rules to protect patients who still need frequent monitoring. Netcare’s hospital stay guidance says visiting times, restrictions and resting times differ between hospitals and for specific wards. Hospitals also schedule around nursing handovers and doctors’ rounds: Mediclinic Sandton notes visitors may be asked to leave during procedures, and Life Kingsbury Hospital makes its morning slot subject to the discretion of the unit manager or sister. A hospital’s general visiting hours are not a reliable guide to its high care times.

Typical Visitor Restrictions

  • Immediate family only (Life Hilton Private Hospital ICU and high care).
  • Children under 12 are not allowed in intensive and high care units (Netcare hospital stay page; Life Wilgers, Life Carstenhof, Life Kingsbury, Life Hilton).
  • Visitors may be asked to leave during procedures; phones on silent (Mediclinic).
  • Wash or sanitise hands before and after visits (Netcare).
  • Anyone ill or recently exposed to illness should not visit (Life West Coast Private Hospital asks this of all wards).

Weekend & Public Holiday Visits

None of the high care schedules above list different weekend or public-holiday times. That does not guarantee the weekday windows apply on those days, especially when staffing changes, so phone the unit first. For public hospitals, general visiting hours may cover weekends while critical care visits are handled separately: the Gauteng Department of Health says Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital makes special arrangements for critical care patients. Our weekend hospital visiting guide has more on weekend visits.

Children and Number of Visitors

  • Mediclinic group policy: two visitors per bed in critical care units.
  • Life Wilgers Hospital and Life Carstenhof Hospital: two family members per patient; no children under 12.
  • Life Hilton Private Hospital: a maximum of two visitors per patient at a time; no visitors under 12 in ICU and high care.
  • Netcare Greenacres Hospital (April 2022 notice): two visitors per patient; no children under 12 in high care.

If a child needs to see a family member in high care, ask the unit manager whether a supervised visit can be arranged. Hospitals that allow exceptions usually require this in advance.

What to Bring

Bring the patient’s full name and the unit name, and your ID in case access control asks for it. Keep bags small, leave flowers and food at home unless the nurses agree, and switch your phone to silent. If the patient needs toiletries or glasses, ask the nurses what may be left at the bedside.

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 high care unit 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: the times above are published examples only. Find your hospital in our hospital visiting hours directory and confirm the high care schedule with the unit. For general etiquette, see our hospital visiting rules guide.

Hospitals with Relevant Ward Information

These hospital pages include facility-specific visiting information, including high care where verified. Related guides: ICU visiting hours and maternity ward visiting hours.

  • Unitas Hospital
  • Westville Hospital
  • Constantiaberg Hospital
  • Garden City Hospital
  • Vincent Pallotti Hospital
  • Kloof Hospital
  • Wilgers Hospital
  • Alberton Hospital
  • Pretoria East Hospital
  • Glynnwood Hospital
  • Little Company Mary Hospital
  • Sunward Park Hospital
  • Arwyp Hospital
  • Union Hospital

Frequently Asked Questions

Is high care the same as ICU for visiting?

In most schedules we checked, yes: Mediclinic and several Life Healthcare hospitals publish one set of times for ICU and high care. Life Westville Hospital is an exception, with longer high care windows than its ICU.

Sources & Last Verified

Last verified: 13 September 2026.

The Netcare Greenacres Hospital notice is dated April 2022 and must be confirmed with the hospital.