South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust change maternity guidance as visiting is temporarily suspended

Maternity guidance for mum’s-to-be has been updated at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to ‘help keep mums, babies and staff safe’.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has shared information for parents-to-be as it continues to manage the risk of Covid-19 on its maternity units. Photo by Jim Varney.South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has shared information for parents-to-be as it continues to manage the risk of Covid-19 on its maternity units. Photo by Jim Varney.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has shared information for parents-to-be as it continues to manage the risk of Covid-19 on its maternity units. Photo by Jim Varney.

Maternity guidance at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has been updated with new rules for mum’s-to-be and their families “to help keep mums, babies and staff safe”.

The new guidance says mums-to-be can bring one person with them to their dating scan, anomaly scan and to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) but those attending will only be able to stay during the appointment and must wait outside the building all other times.

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The Trust is also asking that women attend their antenatal clinic and day unit appointments alone – unless a carer is required which must be pre-arranged with maternity teams.

Visiting has been temporarily suspended to both Sunderland and South Tyneside maternity units and the Trust ask that children are not brought to any appointments

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Further guidance released states that one named person can still attend during labour and delivery but this birthing partner cannot leave the department and then return.

In a statement online, the Trust said: “To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff, mums and babies, we have had to make some temporary changes to how we deliver your maternity care.”

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Face covering is also required at all times except when in labour and Covid tests should be done at home before all hospital and community appointments and scans.

More information can be obtained by contacting your community midwife or by calling the Midwifery-Led Birthing Centre on 0191 404 1033 or the Maternity Unit on 0191 569 9777.

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