Sinn Féin Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe today called for a new and more compassionate approach from the HSE to tackle the difficulties being faced by partners wishing to attend Maternity Hospital Visits.

Teachta Crowe was speaking after HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid who said a number of hospitals were experiencing challenges in the physical layout of wards with many partners being refused access to visits.

This has resulted in situations where the most difficult or even the happiest news relating to a pregnancy being given to women on their own.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee where Mr Reid made his comments this morning, Teachta Crowe said

“Everyone accepts that the health and wellbeing of the mother and babies has to be at the heart of any decisions regarding maternity visits and some hospitals, because of their physical layout, find this extremely challenging during a pandemic.

“Partners should be facilitated wherever possible, particularly at an anomaly scan or any other visit that involves a conversation around an emotional significance. In other words, no one should have to receive terrible or negative news on their own.

“I am calling for the hospitals where there is a difficulty regarding physical layout to look again at their wards with a view to possibly rearranging their bed layout in an attempt to address some of their shortcomings regarding partners attending labour and antenatal wards.

“The use of suitable and appropriate PPE might also be an option for hospitals.

“We know from today’s meeting that the HSE have asked the maternity hospitals in view of the improved Covid-19 situation to review their approach

“While hospitals may say that the current restrictive practices are necessary on operational grounds, many pregnant women and their partners find them harsh and a negative impact on their pregnancy.

“We should always have the needs of expectant mothers, both physical and emotional, at the front of our minds when we are putting these kinds of restrictive measures in place. I am calling on hospitals to have a new and more compassionate approach so that pregnant women may be accompanied at their appointments.”