Visitor restrictions still in place in Galway maternity unit
Calls had been made to lift the restrictions which caused distress to patients who were only allowed to nominate one support person.
Visitor restrictions which have been in place since covid are still being maintained at the maternity unit of Saolta Hospital Galway.
Patients in the maternity hospital are only allowed to nominate one support person who can visit them. Once that person is nominated, they cannot be changed.
According to a spokesperson for the maternity unit in Saolta Hospital Galway, maternity units “make every effort” to help out patients.
“Maternity units will make every effort to accommodate exceptions to our visiting policy on compassionate grounds when the need arises,” said the spokesperson.
“Maternity units across hospitals have visiting policies in place so that a safe and secure environment can be maintained for women, babies, their families and staff by managing the number of people moving through the hospital at any one time.
"Maternity units will always do their best to bring partners in as early as possible during inpatient stays and as soon as it is safe to do so,” they added.
Nominated support partners can visit the maternity unit between 8am and 9pm.
In October, University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) relaxed its tight visitor restrictions which had been in place since covid.
Calls had been made to lift the restrictions which caused distress to patients who were only allowed to nominate one support person — a decision which at the time could not be reversed.
Now, UMHL has changed its policy to allow a second nominated visitor to inpatient wards.
As a result, the Limerick hospital now allows two people to visit between 2pm and 4pm, in addition to the nominated person, who has permission to visit between 8am and 9pm.
