Maternal deaths link to hospital visit ban

PREGNANT women may have died because their partners were banned from attending hospital when they gave birth, according to a damning report.

Covid-19 was the leading indirect cause of maternal death during the first wave of the pandemic, a study by the Healthcare Safety investigation Branch (HSiB) found.

Some women had died alone in hospital, in other cases they delayed seeking care or discharged themselves early . The HSiB examined 19 deaths in England between March and May , when visitors were only allowed in later stages of labour.

‘Visiting restrictions at the time meant the women were unable to be with family members during their admissions,’ the authors wrote. Expectant fathers were unable to say goodbye to the mother of their child, which ‘added to the families’ distress’.

Grieving relatives said the fact they could not visit in hospital meant they had been unable to advocate for their loved one. The visiting rules have now been relaxed. Clinical advisor Dr Louise P age said the HSiB recognised the ‘extraordinary pres - sure on NHS maternity services’. But she added: ‘The impact of a maternal death on the family is profound and devastating.’