Despite the HSE announcing a partial easing of restrictions on maternity care, “conflicting messages” still abound, with hospitals defining what “being in labour” means differently.
This is the view of Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly, who was speaking in the Seanad this week, who said the same guidelines should apply across all hospitals in the State.
On June 21, the Minister for Health announced that all hospitals would be following the same general guidelines. Two days later Paul Reid of the HSE said HSE local hospitals were best placed to make the decision.
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The maternity access guidelines as they apply at UHG will facilitate access to partners of women in labour. Partners can also attend a caesarean section done under regional anaesthesia.
Partners will be subject to screening questions and wearing PPE, and may visit St Catherine’s Ward and St Angela’s Ward from 2pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 8pm. Parents of an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit may visit, one parent at a time. Fathers can visit for two hours. A partner or support person may attend for the dating scan (12 to 13 weeks ) and the anomaly (20 week ) scan.
Partners must wear a face mask at all times, maintain social distancing and use the available hand gel to clean their hands regularly.
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The same guidelines may not apply in other hospitals, and Sen O’Reilly [pictured above] said her concern is that each hospital can define what being in labour means.
“I don’t understand why we can’t, with a public service that the state is paying for, actually roll out the same guidelines across all of our maternity hospitals,” she said. “There is no difference between a woman, a baby and a partner in the west of Ireland and a mother, a baby and a partner in Dublin. We need to have equality across this island.”
