The Maternity Service at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is working closely with our local and national partner agencies to ensure our patients, public and staff remain safe throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
We realise that this is a worrying time for pregnant women and their families. To allow us to answer any questions or concerns in relation to attending hospital to give birth, a dedicated Maternity help-line has been set up which is available Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm 01942 778616. For any out of hours concerns please contact The Delivery Suite on 01942 778505 or 778709 and ask for the Shift Coordinator.
The Maternity Service has supported visiting for birth partners throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as a way of reducing the risk to mothers, babies and staff in order to keep them safe; this has meant that we have had to continue to restrict visiting within the Maternity Unit.
The restrictions across the Maternity Service will be reviewed regularly and will be in line with measures being taken both within Greater Manchester and Nationally and will reflect the levels within the Wigan borough and the Wider GM area. As soon as it is safe to do so restrictions will be lifted.
Our current Maternity Visiting Policy is as follows:
- The Trust cannot accommodate any more than one support partner due to social distancing limitations within Maternity areas of the hospital.
- Please note that no children are permitted to enter the hospital for any appointments (unless they are a patient) or for any visiting.
- One support person is permitted to accompany a pregnant woman to their 12 week scan (NT or dating scan) and 20 week (anomaly) scan. In order to maintain strict social distancing the support partner will be required to sit outside the scan room and will be invited in towards the end of the scan appointment.
- Support partners are currently not able to accompany women to any other clinic appointments; this is for both hospital and community appointments.
- Women should continue to attend appointments for Day Assessment Unit on their own. If a decision is made to admit to the Delivery Suite, your nominated support partner will then be invited in or will be able to attend.
- Women who need to attend the Maternity Triage can bring their nominated support partner with them into the department
- Visiting Antenatal inpatients (This is women who have been admitted to hospital as an inpatient before giving birth (e.g. for close monitoring) and are being cared for on the maternity ward) is for one nominated support partner. This will be for 3 hours per day (this can be split into 2 x 1.5 hours) and they are required to be booked in advance.
- For those women who are attending for an Induction of Labour they can attend with one nominated support partner who can stay for 2 hours. For women with the morning appointment of 10:30am their support partner will be offered a 1-2 hour visiting time for the evening. Should you not be ready for transfer to the Delivery suite the next day a 2-3 hour visiting time for the nominated support partner will be allocated. Dependent on the number of ladies having their Labour induced there may be further flexibility allowed with these times.
- When women are transferred to the Delivery Suite for the next stage of the induction process their nominated birth partner will be contacted and invited to attend.
- Women undergoing an Elective Caesarean Section will attend the hospital at the time they have been provided with and will be admitted to the Maternity Ward. Your chosen support partner is able to attend the Maternity Ward with you. Following surgery, partners are able to remain with the mother and baby for up to 2 hours in a separate area of the ward to facilitate bonding time together, and dependent on time of delivery may be able to return for an hour later in the day/evening.
- When attending the hospital for labour and birth, your one nominated support partner is able to attend the Delivery suite with you. They will remain with you throughout your birth until your transfer to the postnatal ward, at which point your support partner will be required to leave the hospital. When active Labour has been confirmed you will be able to invite an additional support partner if you wish.
- Visiting in postnatal areas will be for 3 hours per day (this can be split into 2 x 1.5 hours) and they are required to be booked in advance. If you wish the 3 hours can be split with the second nominated birth support partner.
- We fully recognise that there are times when women will require additional family support which will be discussed and agreed on an individual basis.
Any birth partner will need to conform to the standard Trust guidance of:
- Wearing a hospital grade surgical mask which will be supplied.
- Having their temperature checked on attendance, if this is above 37.8 they will be asked to leave the site.
- Keeping movement in and out of the Delivery Suite to an absolute minimum and ideally not to leave the area at all.
- Respecting the two metre social distancing where possible.
Partners will not be allowed if they have:
- Tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently self-isolating or are awaiting Covid-19 test results.
- Are self-isolating because they have been in close contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive
- Have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace to say they have been in contact with a Covid-19 positive patient.