Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to encourage NHS Trusts to implement as soon as possible the 8 September 2020 guidance on visitor restrictions.

The Department expects trusts to use the Framework to assist National Health Service trusts to reintroduce access for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women in English maternity services and consider as a priority how access for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women can be reintroduced as soon as possible whilst maintaining the safety of all service users, staff and visitors. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/09/par001599-framework-for-the-reintroduction-of-visitors-throughout-maternity-services-sep-2020.pdf

The Chief Midwifery Officer, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (England), and the National Clinical Director for Maternity and Women's Health wrote to all NHS Directors of Nursing and Heads of Midwifery in England on 19 September to thank the majority of services that have quickly implemented this guidance and relaxed visiting restrictions and to inform those that are still working through the guidance that this must happen now so that partners are able to attend maternity units for appointments and births. The letter is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/09/letter-to-directors-of-nursing-and-heads-of-midwifery-19-september-2020.pdf