The story behind visiting hours in hospitals and healthcare settings is rooted in a long and complex history of balancing patient care, public health, and family involvement.
In the 1700s and 1800s, many hospitals had few restrictions on visiting; for example, the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital allowed open visiting[1]. However, by the late 18th century, some hospitals began to introduce limited visiting periods—St Bartholomew’s Hospital permitted visits of up to one hour a day from 1767, while other institutions like the Doncaster Royal Infirmary allowed visiting only three afternoons per week in the 1870s, and the Royal Berkshire Hospital only for 15 minutes twice a week[1].
In the 19th century, the relationship between hospitals and family members evolved. Visitors were often tolerated mainly because they helped care for patients, providing feeding and general assistance[2]. However, as hospitals shifted toward a more rigid organizational structure and became centers of “modern, scientific care,” stricter visiting hours were introduced in response to concerns that visitors could disrupt routines, introduce contraband, or spread infection[2].
The policy of restricting visiting hours was often driven by staff opinions and traditional practices, rather than scientific evidence[2]. For instance, visiting hours were sometimes limited to once a week to prevent healthy but potentially disruptive friends from causing trouble[3]. In pediatric hospitals during the 19th and early 20th centuries, visits from family were highly restricted; the rationale included protecting children from “outside influence” and reducing the risk of infection at a time when hospitals were recognized as sources of dangerous contagion[3].
Restrictions continued well into the 20th century, with many hospitals maintaining strict policies as late as the 1950s. Policies often specified the number of visitors, their relationships to the patient, and the duration of each visit[3]. Patient and family advocacy, changes in infection control practices, and shifting attitudes toward patient-centered care gradually led to more flexible or even open visiting policies in recent decades[1]. Today, many hospitals aim to accommodate both patient needs and operational concerns, providing options that can be adapted to individual circumstances[5][6].
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