Hospital visiting restrictions to be eased this month

Obstetrician Prof Keelin O’Donoghue tweeted that hospitals are unique places, that partners are not visitors and shouldn't put pregnant partners at increased risk. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

Visiting restrictions for hospitals will ease from later this month and will be reviewed regularly as the Covid-19 situation improves.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has, however, advised against routine testing of asymptomatic visitors or asking about vaccination status.

The guidance recommends all hospitals publish on their websites reasons for restrictions, including risk assessments on limiting birth partner access.

Restrictions on partners’ access should be the “minimum required to manage infection prevention and control risks”.

Campaigners call for testing

Campaigners for better access to maternity hospitals have called for partners to be given Covid-19 tests by hospitals. However, the HPSC found testing of asymptomatic visitors “likely to be a barrier for some people and to result in delays and practical challenges for implementation.” 

They said there is “no evidence“ testing would boost other risk reduction measures in the guidance.

The HPSC advised anyone aged 12 or over who goes into a hospital should be vaccinated, adding “however, people should not be required to produce evidence of vaccination". 

'Partners are not visitors'

Women and some healthcare professionals have called for birth partners to be considered separately from ordinary visitors.

Chair of advocacy group AIMS Ireland Krysia Lynch said yesterday: “We welcome that pregnant women in heavy labour will no longer have to separate from their partners going into assessment rooms.” 

She welcomed the requirement for publishing risk assessments, but wants to see risks more clearly quantified and measured. However, she raised queries around a section indicating women in a single room will not have to separate from their partners. 

The guidelines say this could include women needing the room for medical or emotional reasons.

She said: “There is no getting away from the fact that capacity to pay is involved here. While it may not have been intended in that manner it does most certainly involve that in people’s eyes.” 

Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, an obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital, posted on Twitter in response to the new guidelines. 

She wrote that maternity hospitals are “unique places” and that “partners are not visitors” who would increase the risk for pregnant women.
Until now, children could only visit hospitals for compassionate reasons. 

They can now visit any hospital if an accompanying adult takes responsibility for them and they comply with general rules. These include mask-wearing and social distancing.