GilbertBlytheWouldGetIt Thu 10-Jul-14 14:50:00
the only Yes votes I've seen are from people who say the same thing - that they would have liked their partner to stay after birth.
Gilbert, have you read my post about how the hospital support how I feel and think it will be in the best interest of my health and my husbands health for me to have a private room and for him to be able to stay.
They have stated that he is clearly supportive and actually positively encouraged me in the direction of having him stay.
My yes vote is on the basis that there will be other women in similar situation. They should be able to have that support if they need it, and not be denied it on the basis that other patient's partners are difficult. Each patient's circumstances are different, and that should be taken into full consideration.
HCPs are already trained to try and spot women in difficult or troubled situations and to act accordingly (sometimes by refusing them admission to the ward under existing visiting rules).
I think you need to look at each individual and particular situation that arises. This is why I keep saying it is about focusing on individual care and not about catering to the masses which always ends up being detrimental to someone.
I have stated the need to focus on private rooms to facilitate this.
Thurlow Thu 10-Jul-14 14:57:34
But all the charging out of the rooms in the world isn't going to help these rooms magically appear.
Most hospitals do not have many private rooms. Sadly they can't magic them out of nowhere, nor can they magic the money to build them out of nowhere.
This is why I say I see it as a long term thing and have stated that. It shouldn't be an overnight thing. In terms of future planning though, any additional cost in private rooms, is easily accounted for. When hospitals are built they are either funded by PFi (which I won't rant about) or from central government who tend to borrow to fund such huge schemes. Since income is taken into consideration when loans are agreed, then on paper additional rooms are completely viable.
In many other countries, private rooms are the norm rather than the exception. This is a system that seems to work elsewhere. I think we are very backward in our thinking in saying that ward style accommodation is here permanently.
However what angers me most about this debate though is the argument is the prevailing notion that men = bad. Yes many are, and yes women in those circumstances would be better off without them. But, not all men are bad, and sometimes they can be very beneficial. I think there is an argument to be made that the real thing that needs to change is this attitude and looking to how we can involve men in positive circumstances rather than dismissing them all because of the behaviour of some.
Unfortunately, unless the facilities change, I'm not sure attitudes can change either.