The current visiting arrangements within NHS Ayrshire and Arran will continue for the “time being”, according to health chiefs.

Plans in place currently mean that each patient can have two designated visitors and up to two visits per day.

This applies to all areas of the hospitals, except Covid-19 wards or any ward experiencing an outbreak of Covid-19. In these areas, one designated visitor can visit once a day.

Jennifer Wilson, nurse director, said: “We will continue to review the situation on a regular basis and look forward to moving to more person-centred visiting when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

“In the meantime, our staff will continue to be as flexible as possible with regards to visiting your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to ward staff in the first instance.”

Designated visitors can visit together or separately and do not need to be from the same household.

All visits must still be pre-arranged to allow social distancing measures to be maintained within our ward areas.

More information is available on the NHS inform website.