Rally held at maternity hospital over partner visiting restrictions

A rally against Covid restrictions on partners of pregnant women accessing maternity hospitals took place on Tuesday with demonstrators saying a recent concession on scans does not go far enough.

The Uplift campaigning group, which organised the event, said a petition to back a more widespread loosening of restrictions had attracted more than 50,000 signatures.

Last week the HSE partially acknowledged the mounting concerns by reversing a ban on partners attending 20 week scans, but advocates say it needs to go further.

Speaking shortly before the rally, Uplift director Siobhan O’Donoghue said while they supported public health guidance there was evidence of “rising” trauma levels among expectant mothers attending services alone.

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“There is a collective push now by people who are directly affected to make sure maternity services are inclusive of partners,” she said, stressing a belief that greater access could be safe.

“This is about listening to the people who actually use the services.”

Tuesday’s rally was staged outside the Coombe Women’s Hospital in Dublin, although it was aimed at services throughout the country.

Uplift campaigner and Cork-based physiotherapist Caroline Cumming, who began the group’s petition and submitted it at similar event in Cork two weeks ago, said she was worried about having to go into hospital alone next February when she was due to give birth.

She also said her sister-in-law recently had her first child after spending hours in labour without her husband.

“I think they were both a lot more stressed and anxious than they needed to be,” she said. “He was outside waiting for the call when to come in. He was there for two hours after the birth and they (mother and baby) were in hospital for five days after.”

In a statement, the Coombe – where about 8,000 births take place every year – said partners could be present when mothers were admitted to the labour ward and should be able to stay until they were transferred to the postnatal ward.

Once there, the partner could visit between 2pm and 4.30pm. A spokeswoman also said that following the introduction of the new HSE guidelines, partners would be able to attend 20 week scans from Wednesday.

“Our primary concern is the safety of mothers, babies and staff… we will continue to offer excellent and safe care and in circumstances where a woman requires extra support please be assured that we will aim to provide that,” the hospital said.

“Within the Coombe the situation is monitored by the Covid-19 Executive Team on an ongoing and weekly basis and changes are made as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The HSE said re-introducing access to partners during the pandemic was “challenging, and our priority must be the safety of women, their babies and maternity staff”.

“Nevertheless, the HSE is very mindful of the distress some of these restrictions may have caused women and their partners. The clinical directors of all 19 maternity units have been keeping the need for restrictions under review at all times.”