The Maternity Service at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has been working closely with our local and national partner agencies to ensure our patients, public and staff remain safe since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Maternity Service has supported visiting for birth partners throughout the pandemic. 

There have been some issues raised following the changes made to the visiting policy on 12^th May.  This has led to the need to review the policy as below.

Our current Maternity Visiting Policy is as follows:

• Main support person visiting 09.30 to 21.30 hours on the maternity ward, patients’ children can visit, if desired, between 2-3pm or 7-8pm
• Due to restrictions within the rest of the trust, full visiting cannot be reinstated currently to pre pandemic levels.
• Patients who are being induced can attend with their main support person, who may stay with them during the hours of 09.30-21.30. When a patient is transferred to Delivery Suite for the next stage of the induction process, the support person may attend if not already present, and a second support person may attend if you wish.
• Patients undergoing an elective caesarean section will be admitted to the Maternity Ward and can bring one support person with them. The support person may remain following surgery in line with main support person visiting on the Maternity Ward above (09.30-21.30). New grandparents can attend for a short visit following completion of the surgery, a maximum of 2 at a time, and this will be arranged with your midwife following delivery.
• When attending the hospital for labour and birth, one support person can attend the Delivery suite with you; when it is confirmed that you are in active labour a second support person can be invited to attend with you if you wish. They will remain with you throughout your birth until your transfer to the postnatal ward, at which point your second support person will be required to leave the hospital, and your main support person may stay, in line with the hours noted above (09.30-21.30), outside of these times the main support person will also need to leave following transfer.

New grandparents can attend the Delivery suite for a short visit prior to transfer to the Maternity ward if you wish, this will be a maximum of 2 at a time as well as one birth support (maximum of 3 in total)

• Within the antenatal settings, we continue to ask that children do not attend routine antenatal appointments where possible.
• One Support person can attend all antenatal hospital and community appointments including any pregnancy scans.
• One Support person can accompany women who are attending appointments for Day Assessment or for Triage.
•  We fully recognise that there are times when women will require additional family support/ visits which can be discussed and agreed on an individual basis with your Midwife.

Partners and visitors will not be allowed If they have:

• Tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently self-isolating or are awaiting COVID-19 test results.