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Pregnant women who attend scans and appointments alone are repeatedly told that they cannot record or take pictures of their unborn child to show their partner, according to a survey.
The survey of more than 3,450 pregnant women from the Pregnant Then Screwed campaign group found that more than half of those surveyed (52%) attended the scans alone and were also told that they could not record or take pictures during the appointment.
NHS trusts have been warned that they could be acting illegally if they continue to prohibit partners of pregnant women from accessing hospital appointments remotely. Women are repeatedly told that it is “illegal” to photograph or film their scan, even though this is not the case, said the charity Birthrights, which sought legal advice.
“We are eager to see maternity services adapted for in-person couples, in accordance with national guidelines,” said Birthrights Director of Programs Maria Booker. “However, if this is not really possible in some hospitals during the current peak, maternity services must find other ways to ensure that women feel supported and couples remain involved.”
Claire, who is pregnant with her second child, said she had to go to the hospital alone for many additional scans and consultant appointments since her previous baby was born small. Her husband was able to attend the 12- and 20-week scan, but due to the filming ban, he had not yet heard the baby’s heartbeat. “It has been very difficult not having my husband there and I feel anxious about all of this,” Claire said. “And my husband just feels that dads are an afterthought, their feelings are not considered.”
In December, the NHS ordered hospital trusts to allow pregnant women to have their partners present during scans, labor and delivery after growing outrage that women were being forced to go through the labor of labor alone, or hearing devastating news about miscarriages without the support of their partners. .
But many trusts continue to restrict access to maternity services to decrease the risk of the coronavirus spreading. The Royal College of Midwives has asked trusts to exercise “common sense” by stating: “Security must be the primary concern.”
Birthrights said it had written to the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR), whose current guidance does not support remote access, arguing that a pregnant woman holding a phone leads to “a tense abdomen, which makes scanning extremely difficult. “, and could extend scan times and distract the doctor. The guide supports providing women “a short 10 to 30 second film clip of the fetus at the end of selected exams.”
But Birthrights and Pregnant Then Screwed argue that the guide ignores “the clinical nature of partner involvement,” adding that one clip “does not fully address the clinical importance of facilitating appropriate patient involvement.”
Doughty Street Chambers’ legal advice, supported by the attorneys at Irwin Mitchell, states that a total ban on broadcasting or recording when a partner is unable to attend “is likely to be illegal, discriminatory, and violates Articles 8 and 14” of the european convention on human rights rights.
Joeli Brearley, the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said that not allowing women to document their scans was “unnecessarily cruel.” “Taking photos and videos is not illegal, and for many this is a vital way to help your partner feel included and retain information at this incredibly stressful time.”
Faith Salih, an associate attorney for Irwin Mitchell, said the firm’s view was that the law supported remote participation in prenatal scans. “An outright refusal to make arrangements to allow pregnant women to involve their partners in prenatal appointments, whether by broadcasting or recording the appointments, could violate the rights of both parents,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it was aware of how difficult coronavirus restrictions were for families, adding: “Access decisions for support partners should be based on local information and capacity to proof, but the information must be clearly communicated. . “
