VISITING hours at hospitals in north Essex have been extended during Ramadan to give families more time to visit their loved ones after sunset.
The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) is permitting loved ones to visit patients up until 10pm until April 8, when Ramadan ends.
Ramadan is a month during the Muslim year where strict fasting is observed from dawn to sunset, with the date changing year as the month is based off the cycles of the moon.
The temporary visiting hours gives families more time to visit after Iftar – the fast-breaking meal after sunset.
There will also be dates and water available in the Colchester and Ipswich hospital chapels each day for breaking the fast.
The extended hours apply to all visitors and applies to adult and inpatient critical care wards Aldeburgh Hospital, Bluebird Lodge, Clacton Hospital, Colchester Hospital, Felixstowe Hospital, Harwich Hospital and Ipswich Hospital.
The idea to support Muslim patients and their loved ones was inspired by Barts Health and other NHS trusts and all existing guidance can be found on the website Latest Visiting Information.
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