CUMH announces changes to visiting policy; new app to be used to enable scheduling of visitors 

Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) has made changes to its visiting restrictions that will allow a nominated visitor to attend an anatomy scan.

Until now, under current Level 5 restrictions, CUMH had temporarily paused partners attending the routine 20 to 22-week anatomy scan.

From Monday, March 29, the hospital’s new Visitor Scheduling App will allow patients to nominate a visitor to attend the anatomy scan in a safe and controlled manner.

All expectant mothers due for the scan have already been contacted and informed of this update to CUMH’s visiting policy.

From Monday 29 March, our new Visitor Scheduling App in #CUMH will allow patients to nominate a visitor to attend the Anatomy Scan in a safe and controlled manner. All expectant mothers due this scan have already been contacted and informed of this update to our visiting policy. pic.twitter.com/2D3bKVPoHk

— Ireland South Women & Infants Directorate (@IrelandSouthWID) March 26, 2021

The visitor scheduling app will allow for rapid contact tracing if required and the hospital is also planning to use the app to enable the scheduling of visitors to mothers and babies on the hospital’s wards in the coming weeks, once visitor restrictions ease further.

Up to now, no visitors have been allowed for inpatients, including antenatal inpatients and postnatal inpatients.

Women admitted for induction of labour or in labour can have one nominated companion who can only join the patient when she is in labour or called for a caesarean section.

All patients who receive a pregnancy loss diagnosis are offered the opportunity for a partner to attend at that time and the partner can attend all subsequent visits.