Further easing of restrictions at University Maternity Hospital Limerick confirmed
PARTNERS of pregnant women are to be allowed attend appointments at the Early Pregnancy Access Unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, it has been announced.
UL Hospitals Group has confirmed Covid-19 restrictions, which had limited those allowed to attend UMHL have been eased with immediate effect.
Commenting on the relaxation, UL Hospitals Group Director of Midwifery, Eileen Ronan, said the EPAU is an important service that provides timely access to consultation with a midwife, an obstetrician and an ultrasonographer for women who experience irregularities during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
"Women who need to make an appointment with our EPAU often feel particularly stressed and concerned about their pregnancy, and we are pleased to be able to help provide additional reassurance by once again facilitating their nominated partners to attend with them,” Ms Ronan said.
The move to allow partners to attend appointments comes just a week after the introduction of 45-minute visiting slots for partners of women on the hospital’s ante-natal ward, M3, between 6pm and 9pm daily.
“The restrictions on access to University Maternity Hospital Limerick are an emergency public health measure, taken to protect our patients, their loved ones, vulnerable new-born babies, and our maternity healthcare staff from the very real and present threat of Covid-19,” Ms Ronan said.
She continued: “These are restrictions that no maternity unit management team wish to introduce. Pregnancy and childbirth are joyful times at which familial togetherness should be facilitated. But the prevalence of Covid-19, and the disease’s highly contagious Delta variant, means that we are unable to provide as much access to the hospital as we would like for partners and loved ones of the women and infants in our care.”
Since late April, UMHL been engaged in a gradual relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions on access that have been in place at the hospital throughout the pandemic.
All nominated partners, who attend the hospital, must adhere to the wearing of face masks, observe hand hygiene and social distancing. Temperature monitoring is in place at the main reception, along with the completion of a Covid-19 screening questionnaire.
UL Hospitals says visiting on compassionate grounds continues to be facilitated, as it has been throughout the pandemic, and that it will also continue to support the attendance of birthing partners in the Labour Ward and Theatre.
"We continue to review the access situation at UMHL on a weekly basis, to plan for the safe, controlled and phased relaxation of restrictions, and to ensure all processes are safely introduced and managed," said a spokesperson.