The Coombe Maternity Hospital in Dublin has reverted to pre-Covid-19 visiting hours which will take affect from Monday.
One designated partner will be allowed to visit during the designated hours to women giving birth, and the partner will be requested to leave the hospital during quite/meal times.
Morning visiting times will be from 9.30am to midday, while after lunch visiting hours will be from 2.30 pm to 4.30pm. Evening visiting hours are between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Antenatal, postnatal and gynaecology inpatients will be allowed to receive one designated partner visit after lunch and in the evening time allocations.
Women being admitted to the hospital who are not fully vaccinated will be required to undergo a Covid-19 test, while symptomatic women and close contacts will also be required to take a Covid-19 test.
Under the reviewed guidelines for the Coombe Hospital, the designated partner may attend the delivery suite once the woman has been admitted.
However, if a woman tests positive for Covid-19 then her partner may still attend the birth following confirmation of their negative swab test which will be arranged as the partner is being admitted to labour.
If the partner tests positive for Covid-19 in the last 14 days then they will not be allowed to attend the birth, however, the woman may request an alternative partner.
The hospital said: “We understand that ongoing restrictions on attendance and visiting are challenging for women and their families. These restrictions are in place to protect patients and their new born babies. Please continue to follow the advice of our clinicians.
“We accept that these necessary restrictions are stressful and challenging for patients, their partners and our staff and regret if they impinge on your overall experience of the hospital. We thank you for your continued understanding at this time.”
The decision comes as the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) also announced it will allow unrestricted visiting for partners of pregnant women after a change of visitor guidelines.
The Holles Street hospital has confirmed that there will be unrestricted access granted to one nominated partner of a pregnant woman giving birth or in labour, attending an inpatient appointment, attending the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit or a 20-week anomaly scan.
Partners of pregnant women attending antenatal, postnatal and gynaecological wards will be granted unrestricted visitation between the hours of 8am to 9pm only. Partners visiting a pregnant woman in labour or giving birth will be completely unrestricted as soon as their partner has been admitted to a bed.
It came after the Rotunda Maternity Hospital in Dublin said it had to keep restrictions in place because its surveys showed that only 39pc of pregnant women and 41 pc of their partners were vaccinated against Covid, while its creaking infrastructure was also a factor.
Linda Kelly, founder of Women Ascend and Better Maternity Care campaigner welcomed the news of the NMH’s updated visitation guidelines but said the “postcode lottery” of maternity services continues and a national roadmap is needed for maternity services.
