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LAST UPDATE | 26 Apr 2023
THE TOTAL WITHDRAWAL of partner access in maternity hospitals is “not appropriate”, according to the HSE.
Over the last number of weeks, campaigners have criticised how partners continue to be restricted from attending antenatal appointments in some hospitals and are calling for an end to any remaining maternity restrictions.
The call comes alongside the mask mandate coming to an end recently.
During the pandemic, maternity hospitals introduced restrictions, such as not allowing partners attend appointments.
While some hospitals have lifted the restrictions, some women have said others have not and they continue to have to attend important appointments alone.
When asked about the issue, the HSE told The Journal that there are no Covid-related visiting restrictions in place in hospitals.
“The only guidance currently in place is based on the local risk assessments at times of local outbreaks,” said a spokesperson.
They went on to state that separate guidance on access to acute hospitals has been retired.
The HSE said hospitals “must strike a balance” between the need to manage the risk of introduction of Covid-19 or other communicable infectious diseases by people accessing the hospital, while ensuring that patients who need the support of a partner, a nominated support partner, a member of their family or a friend has reasonable access to that person.
“Reasonable access should be facilitated to the greatest degree practical for all patients,” said the spokesperson, adding:
Access may be very limited for a period of time in the early stages of dealing with an outbreak but a total withdrawal of access is not appropriate.
If limitations on access are considered necessary in the case of an outbreak, this should be based on a risk assessment that is carried out by the hospital and must be reviewed regularly.
“A hospital should have a policy on access and should have the capacity and relevant skill sets within its staffing complement to manage access appropriately.
“The hospital should provide information on access that is clear, up to date and consistent across website, leaflets and when talking to staff and patients,” they added.
“This should make it clear how access is facilitated, any limitations that apply, the reasons for those limitations and the expected duration of limitations. Patients and others should be provided with a clearly defined pathway to appeal against limitations on access that they consider as being unreasonable,” said the HSE spokesperson.
Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan raised the issue with Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler last night.
She said the ongoing exclusion of partners from antenatal appointments and assessment units ultimately falls under the remit of the Department and the Minister who have a responsibility to address the ongoing constraints that are contrary to the best care and best practice for people giving birth.
“It is frustrating that people still have to come into this chamber and talk about maternity restrictions and ask the Government to provide guidance to maternity units. It is now more than three years since partner restrictions were implemented in maternity units across the country,” said Hourigan.
In response, Butler said she was surprised when she read the topic that was up for discussion, stating that she was not aware that partner restrictions were still in place.
“I do not believe they are in every maternity hospital but obviously they are still in some. Deputy Hourigan is a mother like myself and we have plenty of dads here in the Dáil Chamber. There are a lot of times in one’s life when one needs support but it is a very important time in one’s life when one needs to have support,” she added.
“The HSE has assured the Department that every effort continues to be made to maximise access for partners and their loved ones during their maternity care, but it is obvious at the moment that this is not the case in all hospitals, as Deputy Hourigan has outlined,” said the minister.
Hourigan said the consideration and risk assessment that results in restrictions being put in place, should be made publicly available.
She said the risk assessments should be published on the hospital website, stating that where restrictions are in place, it would be “incredibly helpful” so as people understand the thinking behind such a decision.
Butler said it was a very “valid point” about the risk assessments and having information available.
“I will certainly relay it to the HSE on her behalf. I thank her again for raising this matter. I did not believe I would be answering a question like this at this stage of Covid but I understand that infection prevention and control measures are really important. They are always taken to support mothers and their babies, especially in the neonatal units,” said the minister.
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Children’s hospitals still only allowing one parent to all appointments is also an issue which needs to be raised.
Disgraceful nonsense!
Without the man in the first place there’d be no baby. Yet the man is treated as if he’s a pariah and given the ‘my body, I choose’ brigade, is in many cases seen as a hindrance to the future development of the child.
@AnthonyK: what exactly has the clear threat that women’s rights has posed to your small ego got to do with allowing men back into all antenatal appointements? Which is the clear point of the article, which you seem to have missed.
@AnthonyK: I really don’t see the relevance of this in relation to maternity hospital protocols. This is just your daily rant.
@Aoife Hurson: Exactly. Just having his daily rant against women.
@Aoife Hurson: What is a woman?
@Aoife Hurson: because like everything men are classes and second class citizens when it comes to kids.
Slightly off topic but our GP refuses to allow my mother to attend with my father (who is hard of hearing) for appointments. He’s a good doctor otherwise but it seems bizarre, he even has to go in person to get blood results as he can’t hear on the phone but they won’t tell my mother the results instead.
The civil service out of control forgetting they are the servants and the people their employer…
@William slevin: not the Civil Service – it’s up to the individual hospitals to take decisions here.
Those involved in the decisions would likely be medical personnel and administrative management. Employees of the HSE would be Public Servants rather than Civil Servants. Civil Servants are usually to be found roaming the corridors of Government Departments and terrorizing Ministers and their advisors.
To best honest, the hospital in Ireland are a total disgrace, they look like soviet hospitals from the 60’ specially the maternity hospital.
No equipment, no beds, food worse than prison.
@Yvon Queguiner: ahh now come on. Have you tasted prison food here?
More archaic madness. This one has a whiff of turf off it.
At least the baby gets a chance.
If women stopped going for their appointments THEN things will change!
@Marie B: Why can’t they just go on their own? I don’t understand all this furore over it
@Anna Carr: why should they?
Put the man back where he was happyest, across the road a pint and cigar.
@Fiona O’ Dwyer: You sound like a happy,well adjusted feminist Fiona,just like all the rest…
@Spud Geshletter: haha. I agree, they just get in the way lol ;)
The problem is that the people who are running the hospital have forgotten that it belongs to the patient and the closest family. They don’t want us to see them in case we see too much. They like to hide their incompetence, mistakes and of course negligence. That is the real reason I know as I lived 3 months in the hospital and Oo my, did I saw things. So unless we say enough is enough nothing is going to change
@Anne Brusher Collins – when the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser
@Aoif3 Hurson – my ego is quite large
Comments closed, comments closed, comments closed…
Why does The Journal have comments at all?
@Siobhan O’Sullivan Morrin:”@William slevin: not the Civil Service – it’s up to the individual hospitals to take decisions here.
Those involved in the decisions would likely be medical personnel and administrative management. Employees of the HSE would be Public Servants rather than Civil Servants. Civil Servants are usually to be found roaming the corridors of Government Departments and terrorizing Ministers and their advisors.”
A servant is a servant what ever title is appended to it…the servants have forgotten what they are servants to the people…
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