Women can now have a person with them in the antenatal ward and two people with them during labour as Covid rules have finally been relaxed at hospitals in Hampshire.

The new rules have been introduced by Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust, which provides services from Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

Under the new rules, women may now have one birth partner on the antenatal ward and two birth support partners on labour ward.

The attending partners will have to take a PCR test on arrival.

People may also have one birth support partner on the postnatal ward and they can stay overnight if they have a negative PCR result.

The maternity services also announced that siblings and one additional person can visit the mother at the postnatal ward between 4pm and 6pm if they are asymptomatic.

If mums are attending for a planned caesarean birth or induction of labour, the hospital will test the 48-72 hours before your admission.

The rule changes were announced on the Hampshire Hospitals Maternity - Andover, Basingstoke & Winchester Facebook page. 

A post said: "All visitors / support partners must be symptom free.

"If you are attending for a planned caesarean birth or induction of labour we will test you 48-72 hours before your admission." 

For more call 01264 835285 for Andover War Memorial Hospital; 01256 314890 for Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital; and 01962 825456 for Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

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