ST HELENS' MPs have commented on a campaign launched in light of strict coronavirus restrictions, leaving pregnant women to attend all appointments alone, without their birth partner.

Pregnant Then Screwed is a group that supports women who have faced maternity or pregnancy discrimination.

They have joined forced with Alicia Kearns MP to campaign to lift coronavirus restrictions on maternity units so that women do not have to attend scans, appointments or labour without their birth partner during the pandemic.

They state that clear guidance has been shared by the Government , The Royal College of Midwives, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - and that the chief midwife have all written to hospital trusts asking that they lift these restrictions to allow the same birth partner to attend scans with the pregnant woman.

St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust has strict rules, including no partners for scans or appointments and a partner is only allowed to be present during labour.

St Helens North MP Conor McGinn has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pushing for the restrictions to be reviewed.

He said: "I have been contacted by many pregnant women in St Helens - including leading campaigner Ruth Watson from Newton-le-Willows - about just how hard it has been for them because their partners haven’t been able to attend antenatal appointments, other maternity services and even the birth of their child.

"I have contacted local hospitals and have received assurances from them that restrictions are being reviewed and some progress is being made, however, I believe the Government need to provide further clarity on this.

"I have raised this issue directly with the Health Secretary and I recently raised Ruth’s case with the Prime Minister and asked him to provide further support for hospitals so that expectant mothers and their partners get the support they need."

Meanwhile St Helens South and Whiston MP Marie Rimmer stated that although she "empathises" with the pregnant women affected, she stressed that the decision by St Helens and Whiston Hospital Trust will not have been "taken lightly".

She said: "First let me say that I empathise deeply with all women who are going through pregnancy during this dreadful pandemic.

"I understand that the birth of a child and becoming a parent should be a joyous time, but that sometimes it can be a stressful and anxious experience particularly for first time mothers and fathers. So not having your partner present when attending regular appointments and scans, is a hard thing to bear.

"However, St Helens and Whiston Hospital Trust will not have taken this decision lightly. A detailed risk assessment will have been carried out, by those who are legally responsible for the safety and well-being of all, patients and staff alike. It is essential that they are allowed to make these decisions based upon local circumstances.

"St Helens and Whiston Hospital Trust is a very busy acute hospital treating many of the most vulnerable people from our community. We are in an area with consistently high rates of infection and are now subject to tier 3 restrictions, as Covid cases are rising rapidly in our region.

"I am aware that the government has published guidance and that advice has been provided by the Chief Midwife and other clinical bodies but any decisions of this nature must remain in the hands of local hospitals who have a responsibility to safeguard the lives of all. Birth partners are allowed during labour so no-one will have to be on their own during this critical phase of pregnancy.

"We are living in unprecedented times which means that we are all having to endure things we all find extremely difficult to accept and that in normal times we take for granted.

"Let’s hope that if we all knuckle down and work to beat this virus, we can all look forward to the day when we can get back to some kind of normality.”