PREGNANT women can have one person with them at all appointments and during labour at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals from Monday, December 21.

Hospital trusts were this week ordered by the NHS to review their current coronavirus rules and allow pregnant women to have a birth partner present throughout appointments, labour and birth.

The new guidance for Whiston and St Helens Hospitals comes after outrage nationally that some women in England were being forced to go through labour alone, and hear devastating news about miscarriages without the support of their birth partners.

This came after trusts restricted access to maternity services to decrease the risk of spreading coronavirus at the start of the pandemic.

The Star reported in October how St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust had strict rules in place, including no partners being allowed for scans or appointments. A partner was only allowed to be present during labour.

Following the news this week, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have today announced that pregnant women can have ONE person accompany them to all appointments from Monday, December 21.

This means:

- one person may accompany a woman to attend their scan and antenatal appointments

- One birthing partner ONLY may accompany a woman during induction, labour and delivery

- it is strongly recommended that the same person accompanies the woman for each attendance.

Other visitors are still not able to visit the maternity unit.

This decision follows months of campaigning by individuals, MPs and groups, such as Pregnant Then Screwed, which cited that pregnant women going to appointments alone and going through labour alone was going to have a profound affect of "postnatal mental health".