Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support pregnant health care workers during the covid-19 pandemic.

Guidance updated on 21 April 2020 from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists emphasises that pregnant women of any gestation should be offered the choice of whether to work in direct patient-facing roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health care workers who are less than 28 weeks pregnant should practise social distancing but can choose to continue working in a patient-facing role, provided the necessary precautions are taken.

Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant, or have underlying health conditions, should avoid direct patient contact and it is recommended that they stay at home.

If it is found that an employee or the pregnancy would be at risk were the employee to continue with their normal duties, the employer should provide suitable alternative work for which the employee will receive their normal rate of pay. Where it is not reasonably practicable to offer suitable alternative work, the employee should be suspended on full pay.