The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today published its report into Module 3, which assessed the impact of the pandemic on healthcare, including examining how healthcare systems responded, and the impact on services, patients and healthcare staff.
Bliss worked alongside 12 other pregnancy and baby charities as a Core Participant in Module 3, and together we provided written and oral evidence based on our work directly with expectant and new parents throughout the pandemic. Our collective insight showed that the needs of this group – and of their newborn babies - were not sufficiently prioritised in decision-making around healthcare during the pandemic.
What does the report say in relation to neonatal care?
In today’s report, the Inquiry recognises that the imposition of blanket visiting restrictions, including “only one parent being allowed to visit a newborn” – as well as women receiving difficult news in antenatal scans alone – caused significant distress. The Inquiry goes on to accept Bliss’ position that parents of babies in neonatal care are not visitors, stating clearly:
“The Inquiry agrees that, as a general rule, parents should not be seen as visitors but as an essential part of the care and support of a child.”
The report goes on to note that inconsistency in the application of visiting restrictions – both within and between hospitals – caused confusion and a sense of unfairness, and sets out that:
“…greater clarity in the guidance as to who should be considered a visitor and who should be considered part of the healthcare support team would reduce the inconsistencies and ensure better care for some categories of patients”.
In making recommendations around planning for visiting restrictions in a future pandemic, the Inquiry sets out the need for a clear distinction between visitors, and those who are partners in the patients’ care, such as parents of babies born premature or sick, stating:
“Guidance should draw a distinction between ‘visits’ that may bring benefits to the patient but are not essential and the attendance of ‘partners in care’…which is essential. These essential visits should be maintained throughout any pandemic, unless the circumstances make it absolutely impossible.”
This is followed by Recommendation 2, that UK governments “should publish guidance for the implementation of visiting restrictions in hospitals in the event of a future pandemic” including the core principle that “measures applied should be the least restrictive possible, both in terms of severity and the length of time for which they apply”.
What is Bliss’ response?
Caroline Lee-Davey, Chief Executive of Bliss said, “During the pandemic many new parents were shut out of neonatal wards, relegated to being just “visitors” to their babies; some allowed in for only a few hours a day, and some – particularly dads – not allowed in to see them at all. Premature and sick babies, whose most critical need is to have their parents by their side, were left alone.
“Having a sick or premature baby in neonatal care is overwhelming and distressing for any parent at any time, but the impact of access restrictions on parents during the Covid-19 pandemic put them in an unbearable position. Bliss welcomes the fact that the Inquiry both acknowledges the pain and distress caused to neonatal babies and families during the pandemic, and recognises that parents of babies in neonatal care should never be seen as visitors, but rather as partners in their baby’s care.
“Bliss welcomes and supports the Inquiry’s recommendation that UK governments need to develop future pandemic guidance which makes a clear distinction between visitors to hospital and those who are essential to a patient’s care – and which sets out that these essential visits should be maintained throughout any pandemic. This supports everything we know about neonatal care, which shows that very sick or prematurely born babies do best when their parents are as involved as possible in their baby’s neonatal care, and the need for babies to have their parents by their side.
“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Bliss worked tirelessly to reverse restrictions which were treating parents as visitors to their own babies, and supported thousands of parents through our information and support services. As well as reflecting and honouring the experiences of these parents through our evidence, we hope that today’s report sets a clear line for the future: parents are not visitors to their babies in neonatal care – and never again should they be banished from their babies’ cotside when they are needed most.”
Who did Bliss work with to give evidence to the Covid Inquiry, and what were the key themes of this evidence?
The other pregnancy and baby charities who were collectively granted Core Participant status alongside Bliss were: Aching Arms, Baby Lifeline, The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, Group B Strep Support, ICP Support, The Lullaby Trust, Miscarriage Association, NCT, Pelvic Partnership, Tommy’s and Twins Trust.
The key themes highlighted through our evidence included the fact that:
Maternity and neonatal services were overlooked in healthcare planning during the pandemic, leaving pregnant women and new parents, especially those facing complications, birth trauma, or loss, without adequate support.
In these unique settings, partners should not have been categorised as visitors and subject to the strict rules they were. Partners, often fathers, are a fundamental part of this journey, including scans, during and after the birth and in the neonatal unit.
Specific groups, including those with multiple pregnancies, neonatal admissions, or from ethnic minority backgrounds, had unique needs that were not considered and addressed adequately.
In many cases policies exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly in Black and Asian women and those experiencing social and economic disadvantage.
Hospitals and healthcare providers struggled with unclear, frequently changing and delayed national guidance. This placed significant pressure on services and caused emotional distress for families.
The traumatic experiences endured by pregnant women and new parents during this time continue to affect their mental health, with the long-term impact still uncertain.
The suspension of home birth support and the closure of midwife-led units took away women’s fundamental right to decide how and where they gave birth.
Post-natal services suffered immensely as health visitors and other health professionals were re-deployed in the early months of the pandemic to front line services, leaving families without anyone to support them.
Charities filled the gaps left and supported families and professionals, providing vital services.
