Lay summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the worlds of people and their family, friends and/or whanau upside down. The 'taken for granted' ability to freely visit a person in hospital was removed during COVID-19 restrictions. One fifth of hospital inpatients in Aotearoa/New Zealand have palliative care needs, many of whom are aged 70 or over. This activity explores people's experiences of hospital visiting during COVID-19 restrictions. It is the first step in a programme of International research to investigate the most effective strategies and opportunities when there are multiple competing needs and risks for people in hospital and those visiting them. Providing evidence to underpin visiting policies is critical to providing safe equitable palliative care into the future.