Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the rules are on the presence of partners during the birthing process during the covid-19 outbreak.

The National Health Service has made arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards during this pandemic.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, women have been able to have one partner of their choice with them during labour and childbirth as long as their birth partner is well and does not have COVID-19 symptoms.

Guidance produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that women should be encouraged to have a single birth partner, who has no symptoms of COVID-19, present with them during any type of labour and birth, unless the birth occurs under general anaesthetic.