The HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer has said all maternity units will be compliant with HSE guidelines on partners in the coming week.
Dr Colm Henry admitted there has been problems, particularly around infrastructure in some of the units.
Many couples are still reporting not being able to be together during very difficult stages of pregnancy.
Dr Henry says the latest guidelines will be in place across the board within a week, noting “Those four criteria neonatal unit, presence of partners during labour and the labour ward, the anomaly scan and visits to postnatal wards; all the units are compliant with those. The further easing that took place at the end of June, the early pregnancy assessment units, routine visits for women with high-risk pregnancy and emergency presentations in late gestation, the great majority are compliant with those but let me assure anyone who’s listening we will ensure that all 19 units are fully compliant within a week”.
A spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group which oversees St Luke’s General for Carlow and Kilkenny has told KCLR News “All maternity hospitals in the Ireland East Hospital Group, which includes St Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny are fully compliant with the National Guidelines for partners attending Maternity Units”.
This means birth partners can attend the 20-week scan, birth partners can be with the mother through labour and birth, this applies to mothers having a spontaneous or induced labour, and birth partners may visit from 10am to 12pm and 6pm to 8pm daily.
