14/01/2021
https://www.facebook.com/101407518169646/posts/233766651600398/
We are sorry that we need to update you all this evening with an important message.
As from tomorrow (Thursday 14th January 2021), UHS maternity services are temporarily required to ask that women attend scan appointments alone. This includes 12 week, 20 week and fetal medicine scans. We hope that this will be for no longer than a week, so that we can implement some safety measures for both you and your partner when coming into the building.
Why is this the case?
Infection rates of COVID-19 within the local community of Southampton are continuing to rise and we are seeing an increasing number of hospital admissions. Our priority is keeping everyone safe and we want to be able to offer additional screening for both you and your partner before attending a scan appointment. This is to reduce the risk of cross infection and to reduce transmission of the new, easier to transmit variant of COVID-19.
Plan to offer additional screening
The proposed screening will involve a swab test that will be performed for both you and your partner, 2-3 days prior to your booked appointment. We are still discussing how this will work and it may take a few days for the arrangements to be put into place. Until this time we need to ask that partners do not enter the Princess Anne building and will need to wait outside the building or stay in the car.
Virtual viewing
We know that having a scan is an important and special time during pregnancy and therefore until we can start the proposed screening, we are able to offer ‘virtual viewing’ of your baby using facetime or equivalent. Virtual viewing will be offered at the end of your scan appointment and partners will be able to see the baby on scan as well as the gender being revealed. (If you decide this is what you would like and if it is possible for gender to be seen during the scan).
We are working as hard as we can to put measures in place so that we can welcome partners back into the building as soon as possible.
We will of course keep you updated and thank you all for your continued understanding.
