‘Why can groups go shooting while partners can’t attend baby scans?’

Canterbury’s MP has demanded to know why a group of people can meet to go grouse shooting - despite the new ‘rule of six’ - while a woman’s partner remains banned from attending pregnancy scans. Addressing health secretary Matt Hancock in Parliament on Tuesday, Ms Duffield said: “Whilst I’m sure that many ordinary people were thrilled to learn that the government’s ‘rule of six’ does not apply to so-called sports such as grouse shooting where up to 29 people can mingle, expectant mothers in my constituency and across the country are unable to take their partners to crucial checks during pregnancy. “Currently, individual health trusts are left to make decisions on this leading to a postcode lottery. Isn’t it time that the government stopped passing the buck like they did to school leaders and instead provide national leadership across the country on matters as vital as maternity care?”

Mr Hancock replied: ‘I have a huge amount of sympathy and in fact, last week we changed the guidance on this to allow for partners to go with pregnant woman to these sort of tests and of course to the whole of the birth.”

Ms Duffield said she was

“encouraged” by the reply, and would write to the east Kent hospital trust to ensure partners “can be alongside expectant mothers in the months, days and hours leading up to every exciting new arrival”. Partners are not allowed to attend maternity appointments or scans, or be present for the early stages of labour.

The trust blames the age of its facilities for not easing the restrictions - saying rooms were built too small to allow for social distancing - and said the rules aimed to keep staff, patients and visitors safe from coronavirus. See page 6 for more on maternity restrictions.

MP Rosie Duffield raised concerns about the ‘rule of six’