Patient Relations, The Hospital Ombudsman, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. sharon.rogers@uhn.on.ca
Patients want, need and expect that their relatives will be able to visit them during inpatient admissions or accompany them during ambulatory visits. The sudden outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), or a similar contagious pathogen, will restrict the number of people entering the hospital. The ethical values that underlie visitor restrictions are discussed here.