NHS visitor restrictions lifted

[Hollielouise]

Hopefully this means individual trusts and hospitals will begin to allow one birth partner to stay for longer after the birth. Has anyone heard anything from their hospital?

www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/C0524-visiting-healthcare-inpatient-settings-5-June-2020.pdf

I hope they start this asap in south yorkshire. I'm due to be induced on Thursday and would love if my partner could be there for the whole induction as I am absolutely dreading it at the moment. Also it would mean if I had to stay in after for a couple of days at least he could visit to see his baby. Not getting Hope's up though as I've not heard anything and have a feeling it will be after the 15th to go with the new rule of face masks that was mentioned at the gov daily briefing.

Hospitals can set their own rules. I wouldn't be too hopeful. Limiting birth partners allows better social distancing in small rooms and nobody needs more than one birth partner. It's a nice to have.

At the moment birth partners can only attend in active labour and then just leave within an hour of birth at my hospital.... that's what I'm hoping will change. Agreed - not more birth partners! @pandafunfactory

I agree not more birth partners I think only 1 is needed but I do think the partner especially when it's the father of child should be able to spend more than 1 hour after the birth especially if mum and baby will have to stay in for whatever reason. I would even say when visiting on ante/postnatal wards eventually resumes it should be limited to 1 visitor per woman on the ward.

Sorry yes I see what was meant, I was thinking of a Facebook post I'd seen from somebody desperate to have their mum there too and that's just not going to happen right now. An hour after birth is brutal really.

At my local hospital partners can now be there the whole time, don't need to prove active labour first and can stay, including overnight, until mum and baby are discharged. The only restriction is that once they are in the hospital they can't leave and come back, so if you've forgotten anything it's tough! The hospital has also said meals will be provided for partners so that they don't need to leave to get food. This hospital has been a little behind the curve on reopening maternity services (water birth, home birth etc) so I am surprised that they are so forward with the partner thing.

@Wanderer1 wow that's amazing! I thought my hospital was good as they've said my DH can be there all through my induction this week

@thosethreewords it is isn't it. I think it's partly due to the fact that they only have single rooms and no postnatal ward, makes things a bit easier

Restrictions still in place in my hospital, emailed them today and got a standard response - The health, safety and wellbeing of our patients and teams remain our absolute priority. The restrictions will be reviewed in due course.

My midwife confirmed that at the moment my hospital is allowing birthing partners there throughout the birth and from 8am-8pm on the post natal ward. Which was much better than I was expecting. I was dreading being on a post natal ward without any support for a couple of days.

Wow so great to hear some trusts lifting restrictions. Sadly mine is still very strict and will be "under review"....!