NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is defending a move to extend hospital visiting hours despite pushback from nurses and staff.

Restrictions on when family and friends can see patients are being scrapped at three major Sydney hospitals, and if all goes well, hospitals across the state will see the change.

The move has seen some pushback, with a former health worker telling Alan Jones it would be a “nightmare”.

The NSW Health Minister assures Alan visiting hours won’t be “completely unlimited”.

“The balance is there. The balance is being trialled and so far the evidence, that they’re telling me anyway, is that the nurses and the staff… find it’s actually quite good.”

Alan has hit back at the Minister’s claim, saying the nurses he’s spoken to tell a different story and are struggling to cope.

Mr Hazzard has played down the risk of people wandering in and out of wards late at night, saying the visits must be pre-arranged.

“It’s being trialled and I think it’s fair to give it a go. And absolutely not broad brush, not anybody being able to walk in.”

Alan also raised reports nurses have been handed a code of conduct banning them from using gendered language.

The Minister tells Alan he knows nothing about  the issue but will look into it immediately.

“That’s a policy that’s come from somewhere that I know nothing about and it sounds a bit silly.”

Click PLAY below for the full interview