Visiting restrictions to be lifted at all hospitals from Monday

Jessica MacKinnon with her baby son, August, at a distanced protest against maternity restrictions outside CUMH. Campaigners will continue to work with the HSE Acute Operations team to monitor how this new approach is put in place across the 19 maternity units. Picture: Dan Linehan

The HSE has removed restrictions on visiting at all acute hospitals, including maternity hospitals, in another sign of the dangers from Covid-19 appearing to recede.

During the pandemic, hospitals had to restrict access to wards to reduce the risk of passing on the severe infection to vulnerable patients and pregnant women, and also to staff.

However, women giving birth were especially vocal in their outrage that their partners or husbands were included in this and classed as visitors, leaving thousands to labour alone during the pandemic.

The HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre have now retired their official guidance on restricted access to all hospitals  In updated access guidelines, published on Friday and set to take effect from Monday, the HSE's infection prevention control team (AMRIC) said separate policies on access will now be retired.

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It said: “Reasonable access should be facilitated to the greatest degree practical for all patients. 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."

Cork activist Linda Kelly from the #BetterMaternityCampaign welcomed the decision.

“This has had huge negative consequences for families accessing all aspects of care, not just maternity,” she said.

“Care Champions have been highlighting this for areas of elder care. It has also had a huge impact on parents with kids in hospitals.” 

Since September 2020, campaigners had been calling for restrictions to be removed on maternity wards when it became clear women sometimes faced devastating news of pregnancy loss without support.

Ms Kelly said:

It has been a very long two-and-a-half years for pregnant women and their families as they have navigated maternity services with these restrictions in place. 

“We are delighted that the restrictive national policy is now being retired and that hospitals are now directed to welcome nominated support partners back for all aspects of maternity care.” 

The group will continue to work with the HSE Acute Operations team to monitor how this new approach is put in place across the 19 maternity units.

“Women and their families should have the clear expectation from here on out that access will revert to pre-pandemic norms for nominated support partners. We will not accept anything less,” she said.

The new guidelines advise hospitals to balance the risks with the needs of all patients to have a partner, a nominated support partner, a member of their family or a friend given “reasonable access”.

Visitors with Covid-19 symptoms are still told not to attend the hospital, and the guidelines say that risk assessments could be required if cases increase again.