Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

More than 60 MPs sign letter calling for partners to be allowed at births

More than 60 MPs sign letter calling for partners to be allowed at births

More than 60 MPs are calling for NHS trusts to lift the ban on partners being bedside during births.

The practice, brought in amid the coronavirus lockdown, has forced thousands of expecting parents to attend stressful appointments without the support of their loved ones.

In a letter, signed by former Health Secretary Jeremey Hunt, the MPs have now demanded the rules be changed as they accused local health chiefs of ‘dragging their feet’.

They also argue that the trusts have failed to follow Government guidance, which allows family members to be present at scans and during labour.

The letter, launched with the Mail on Sunday, states: ‘We are failing women if restrictive support policies in pregnancy are allowed to continue one moment longer than they need to.

‘Their partners have been locked out of scans and hospital rooms, anxiously separated from the people they love most in the world with no idea whether the outcome would be as they hoped, or as they desperately feared.’

Pregnant Tory MP Alicia Kearns organised the letter after her own experience in hospital. Her partner was present at a scan two months ago, and she said it is ‘utterly heart-breaking’ that not all pregnant women could not say the same.

She went on: ‘I can’t imagine having to go through giving birth without my partner. Trusts had the ability to change these rules when we came out of national lockdown, but didn’t.’


Government policy on births has now changed


One woman last week is reported to have given birth to a stillborn baby at 41 weeks without her partner present during labour. A relative said: ‘She is traumatised, even more so as she was alone to hear this news and hold her dead baby.’

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Anaesthetists all say women should be allowed ‘one birth partner’ by their side during labour in most cases.

Government guidelines published last week state that hospitals can allow partners into scans and appointments. Maternity Minister Nadine Dorries said partners had a ‘vital role to provide emotional support,’ and added that it has been ‘painful to hear stories of women facing difficult moments and conversations alone’.

However, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust still states on its website to ‘not bring anyone to your scan’. Partners can stay for the labour and birth, but will have to leave after the visiting hours of noon to 7 pm.

Similar rules have been put in place in Nottingham University Hospitals, although partners can now attend the routine 12 and 20-week scans.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital operates on a similar policy, stating in their guidelines: ‘There is currently no postnatal ward visiting.’

Professor Mandie Sunderland, chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals told the Mail that their guidance was under review and that their ‘priority remains to keep mums and babies safe’. She said their ‘stringent visiting policy’ had so far allowed that to happen.

Imperial College Healthcare Trust said: ‘We are currently reviewing the visiting restrictions. We understand how difficult the current restrictions are and will do all we can to make changes quickly while also ensuring everyone’s safety.’

Andrew Loughney at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, said: ‘Following the recent change in national guidance, we are planning to lift restrictions.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×