The launch of a new visitor scheduling app at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) has seen the beginning of the return of some visiting to the hospital.

Last month, CUMH introduced a new Visitor Scheduling App called “Yellow Schedule” to allow patients to nominate a visitor to attend their anatomy scan in a safe and controlled manner.

The visitor scheduling app was designed to allow for rapid contact tracing if required.

At the time, CUMH said it also intended on using this app to enable the scheduling of visitors to mothers and babies once visitor restrictions eased further.

CUMH has now confirmed to the Echo that a soft launch of the new visitor app commenced yesterday on one post-natal ward in the hospital.

This saw partners of patients on the ward able to visit for one hour.

A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed the app will come into wider use in the coming weeks.

“The app will open up to the remaining wards within the next two weeks, once the hospital is sure there are no issues with the app," the spokesperson told the Echo. 

The hospital has operated a strict visiting policy over the past number of months due to the ongoing pandemic. 

This has meant that 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 caesarean section. 

For patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, only the mother and father can visit, one at a time.