Pregnant woman renews call for partners at scans

When Lisa Franklin (not her real name) had a miscarriage late last year, the entire experience was ‘incredibly traumatic’ – but Covid-19 restrictions made it much worse because her partner could not join her during visits to the Early Pregnancy Unit of University Hospital Galway to assess and manage her miscarriage.

And now the couple have been highly anxious on discovering she was pregnant again.

“I certainly felt that I needed my partner to be with me for the 20-week scan in case my worst fears came true,” she said.

“Thankfully we received good news. But I was dismayed to find out that UHG continues to have a Covid visitation policy which still does not allow partners to attend essential antenatal scans or visits or for partners to remain present during the duration of the birth,” she revealed.

“This is despite the overwhelming majority of frontline workers receiving their Covid vaccinations and despite a HSE directive from December 2020 that stated partners are now allowed to attend key appointments during pregnancy and birth.”

The HSE re-classified partners as ‘essential companions’ for foetal anomaly scans rather than just ‘visitors’.

She was asked to sign a waiver form specifically advising that a partner cannot attend the scan at UHG.

“The visitation limits set by the hospital have really stuck with me as they go against the HSE’s own policy. Why is UHG setting its own local policy against the advice of the HSE?” she asked.

Read the full interview in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download our digital paper from www.connachttribune.ie