VISITING times at Southend Hospital will be changed to give patients more time for rest and recuperation.

The hours will be restricted to two separate two-hour slots from April 1, following a consultation with more than a thousand patients, visitors and staff.

Up until now, different wards across the hospital have set their own visiting times, but hospital bosses were keen to set new hours that would apply across all wards.

As a result, visits will be made between two time slots, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm, and from 6pm until 8pm.

The hospital said the hours had been designed around giving patients more rest time in the afternoon.

Visitors will be limited to two at a time per patient and will be asked to use hand sanitisers.

Exceptions to the rule will be made for patients who want visitors to help them eat their meals, for child patients, intensive care patients, people in the labour ward, or patients who are close to death.