London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
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
×