Councillors Hear About Pandemic Maternity Woes

Half of women at Derriford’s ward have covid-19

- Daniel Clark

A WOMAN whose baby died in tragic circumstances could not have her family with her afterwards because she had tested positive for Covid-19.

The tragic tale was one of a number Plymouth councillors heard last week when discussing the devastating impact the pandemic has had on maternity services.

Sue Wilkins, director of mass vaccination, flu and testing at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, told a meeting of Plymouth City Council’s health and wellbeing board last week that, at present, half of the women at Derriford Hospital’s maternity ward have Covid-19.

The number of positive cases includes all women on the ward, not just those going through labour, but it means some women are having longer stays on the ward because staff do not want to move someone who is infectious to another part of the hospital.

Part of the reason for the spike is fewer pregnant women being vaccinated compared to the general population, even though they are at a greater risk of getting seriously ill from Covid, the meeting heard.

The meeting also heard that in one case staff had to tell a Covid positive woman, who could not have her family with her in the hospital, that her baby had died. Four women on Derriford’s labour ward have needed to go into intensive care during the pandemic. While none died, one suffered significant neurological damage.