Pregnant women at risk of spending days alone in hospital 'due to postcode lottery of stringent visitor restrictions'

'People are frustrated and really losing patience that you can go to the pub and hairdresser but at such a significant moment in your life, you can’t have someone with you,' says campaigner

England is now behind Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where services have been instructed to be more accommodating towards pregnant women’s birthing partners (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Pregnant women are being forced to potentially spend days alone in hospital ahead of giving birth as they grapple with a postcode lottery due to stringent restrictions around visitors, a human rights charity has warned.

Birthrights, which campaigns for respectful pregnancy care for women, said expectant mothers are routinely being blocked from having their birthing partner present until they are in proper labour which can be “worrying” for women who wait for their labour to start in hospital.

The charity said pregnant women in England face a “postcode lottery” due to rules around visitors in many NHS trusts remaining the same as they were at the worst point of the coronavirus crisis – even in places where there are low numbers of virus cases in the local area.

Maria Booker, of Birthrights, told The Independent: “An induction starts labour artificially. Inducing labour means there is a long period at the beginning of the labour where you are not in established labour. It can take anywhere between a few hours to a few days in the worst case scenario. Lots of trusts aren’t allowing partners until you go into established labour. Lots of women are reconsidering induction on that basis, even though that may not be the best thing for them.

“Women who have been advised to be induced are saying they don’t want to be induced as their partner can’t be with them. Pregnancy is a worrying time. It is a unique time in people’s life. It is not the same as going to hospital for other reasons. Women value the support of partners – especially if you are going for a scan and expecting bad news.

“Recently a woman who was carrying twins and due to have a caesarean was told she couldn’t guarantee her partner would be with her on the postnatal ward. We wrote to West Hertfordshire to complain about that a few days ago. All these restrictions on visitors have the potential to disrupt the childbirth process. They are not set up to make women feel relaxed and supported.”

Birthrights has written to NHS England and NHS Improvement urging them to ease visiting constraints in maternity services. England is now behind Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where services have been instructed to be more accommodating towards pregnant women’s birthing partners.

The charity said enquires to its advice line show mounting anger that people can go to the pub, the hairdresser or the casino but a woman’s partner is not permitted to give her support during the pregnancy and childbirth process.

Ms Booker, who said a large number of NHS trusts still have strict rules around visitors in maternity services, said: “People are frustrated and really losing patience that you can go to the pub and hairdresser but at such a significant moment in your life, you can’t have someone with you. Pregnancy has got to be more important than all those other things.

“There is a vacuum on national guidance. We want to see national guidance that makes clear that the ‘norm’ is for an individual to be supported by their chosen partners throughout their maternity care, and that trusts need to have a compelling reason for deviating from that.”

The campaigner, who drew attention to the significance of early family bonding, said women who have had caesareans, twins or have disabilities need particular support on postnatal wards.

Ms Booker said many trusts are telling women to arrive alone when they come to the hospital to see if they are in established labour adding that can, in turn, put pressure on women to undergo vaginal examinations despite them being traumatic for those who have suffered sexual assault.

She said they are hearing from women feeling coerced into vaginal examinations because they are keen to establish if they’re in labour so they can be reunited with their partner, and also because their partner is not present to “make them feel comfortable to advocate for themselves”.

A spokesperson for the NHS said: “The safety of our patients and their families, is always the absolute priority, which is why as we have moved past the initial peak, the NHS is continuing to work with frontline professionals and patient groups to open up services safely, and allow partners to go to antenatal clinics, in addition to being present for labour, which partners have been able to do throughout the pandemic.”