COVID-19 update
Maternity services
Due to coronavirus we have introduced restrictions guided by NHS
England to maintain the safety of all mothers and babies, and
reduce the risk of any infection entering the wards. Please see the
details below. We have also put together a frequently asked questions
page to help with any queries you might
have.
We will continue to keep this guidance under careful review, in
line with the national advice from the Chief Midwifery Officer for
England.
Thank you for your understanding during this challenging
time.
Labour and birth at St Michael's Hospital
- A nominated non-symptomatic birthing partner is allowed to be
with you during labour and the birth.
- On transfer to the postnatal ward partners will not be able to
join you and will only be allowed to return when you are
discharged.
- If you are being induced on the ward and go into labour, your
birthing partner will be called and invited to support you before
you are transferred to the delivery suite.
- No visitors are allowed on the postnatal wards.
- We are not currently supporting births at Ashcombe Birthing
Centre in Weston.
- If your baby needs to be admitted to the neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU), non-symptomatic parents can visit - two parents
to the ICU rooms and one parent at a time in the HDU and SCBU
rooms.
Appointments in Bristol, Weston and the community
- You can be accompanied by one non-symptomatic person (ideally
the birth partner) for the first trimester scan. For additional
routine scans please attend the appointment on your own.
- Children are not allowed in clinic or on the wards.
- Consultant antenatal appointments and scans will continue as
usual. Please attend these appointments on your own. Women will be
offered telephone appointments where clinically appropriate.
- Community midwifery clinics and home visits are still running
as necessary, but women are being assessed and only essential face
to face visits are being undertaken.
- No antenatal classes or tours of the unit are currently
running.
For fetal medicine and early pregnancy clinic
appointments you can be accompanied by one
non-symptomatic person.
If you have any questions, please contact your
midwife.
Once transferred to the postnatal ward, free WiFi is available
to everyone so patients can make phone or video calls to their
family and friends using apps including Facetime, WhatsApp or Skype
and mobile reception is available across our site. Please be
aware that we do not allow any video calling, photographs or
recordings to be carried out during scan appointments due to the
concentration required by the sonographer.
The maternity team has created this video to help explain some of the
restrictions currently in place and what to expect when you give
birth at St Michael's Hospital. Patient Laura has also shared her
experience of giving birth at the hospital during the restrictions
in this
video.
Click here to view the video
This animation sets out what pregnant
women should expect from NHS maternity services during the
coronavirus. Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwifery Officer, and
Dr Matthew Jolly, National Clinical Director for Maternity for the
NHS in England explain what might change and why it is important to
keep in touch with your maternity team.
Click here to view the video
NHS Volunteer Responders scheme
The NHS Volunteer Responders scheme is open
to all pregnant people, not just those who are shielding
or vulnerable.
Volunteer responders can help with picking up
shopping or prescriptions, lifts to/from hospital
and health appointments. Call 0808 196 3646 or visit
their website for more details.
