A hospital has become the first in the UK to allow relatives to visit their relatives dying of coronavirus.
The Royal University Hospital (RUH) in Bath has made the u-turn as they believe they can safely support some of the devastating visits.
Doctors and nurses had previously worked in line with Government policy and stopped most visits from relatives in order to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
But the hospital now says they are able to change their position on this.
The statement said: “Across the NHS, visiting hospital trusts has been suspended except in exceptional circumstances, such as end of life care.
“After careful consideration, we believe that we can, in some situations, safely support end of life visits for those with Covid-19, or awaiting test results.”
Dr Bernie Marden, the medical director, said: “We are very pleased we have been able to change our position on this.
“It is very important to us that we support patients and their loved ones at these most difficult moments.”
Mark Purcell, a spokesman for RUHB added: “We’re following national guidelines.
"And I think most hospitals are doing exactly the same too … to protect the patients, which is the number one priority, but to also protect the people coming into the hospital.”
Earlier this month, a nurse described the decision to ban all visits to terminally ill coronavirus patients at the Royal United Hospital in Bath as "cruel beyond belief".
The nurse, who has worked at the hospital for several years and asked not to be identified, called the decision a "grave injustice".
In a letter to BathLive , she said: "I can think of no other way to express my frustration and disgust at the hospital trust's latest decision.
"As a whole the reorganisation of the hospital to deal with this epidemic has been superb, and in the most cold and calculating way, this can be considered to be justifiable.
"However at the heart of nursing is advocacy for my patients and compassion.
"The reality for many people is that the last they will see of their loved on is them being loaded into an ambulance and then being totally isolated from them as they die, eventually receiving a phone call informing them of their deterioration and eventual death.
"These measures seem cruel beyond belief. While I praise the Trust for much of what it has done this simply seems inhumane."
She added: "The trust has personal protective equipment, and staff wear it in order to treat patients with coronavirus. Visitors would be just as capable of doing so.
"At some point pragmatism must give way to compassion and humanity."
The hospital denied knowledge of the nurse's social media post, according to The Express, but decided to change the rules.
