A screening system at the hospital allows visitors to join their partners at their anatomy scan.

The partners of expectant mothers at Cork University Maternity Hospital can now attend the 20 week scan and be present post-delivery. Earlier this month, the HSE allowed maternity hospitals to begin to ease visitor restrictions. The system has been in operation for a number of weeks. YellowSchedule's Intelligent Patient Scheduling Solution sends an SMS to pregnant women allowing them to nominate a partner to attend their anatomy scan. The system sends the couple a Covid-19 screening questionnaire to fill out before the appointment. CUMH will then determine Covid-19 risk factors and channel them accordingly through a dedicated Covid pathway at the hospital. This will also prevent visitors who may have Covid-19 from presenting at CUMH. Visitors will receive a QR code which will allow them to scan when they arrive for the appointment. The staff will have a record of visitors who are due to accompany their partners on the day. The process prevents queues and delays while allowing for Covid-19 screening and a robust contact tracing system. The same technology screens partners for post-delivery visits. Many parents continue to call for maternity hospital restrictions to be eased further, with partners highlighting the importance of support throughout all stages of pregnancy. Yesterday, an online protest organised by AIMS Ireland took place to draw attention to the issue. The group's chair, Krysia Lynch said: "In the absence of leadership from the minister and the HSE, the only way forward is for more people to publicly draw attention to this crisis for birthing people in Ireland."