Maternity care still available during COVID-19
09/11/2020
This article is more than three years old.
As a national campaign reminds families in the UK that maternity care is still available during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is keen to do the same.
Like many maternity units, we have made a number of changes to how we provide care to women during pregnancy to keep both patients and our staff safe. This has included carrying out some appointments remotely, including over the phone or via video.
However, our maternity service is still open 24/7 for births, urgent care, and clinical advice. Some face to face appointments with a midwife or doctor are essential, and it is important to attend.
There are also robust infection control measures in place in our hospitals to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
Miss Catherine Greenwood, Consultant Obstetrician and Clinical Director for Maternity at the Trust, said: "Having a baby can be an anxious time when there isn't a global pandemic, so we completely understand why pregnant women may be worried.
"Some might feel afraid to leave their home to attend appointments, or to come to hospital because they're afraid they'll get COVID-19. I'd really like to reassure them that we are committed to keeping you as safe as possible when under our care - and it's really important that you continue to come to your appointments.
"We said this at the beginning of the pandemic, and it is still true as we are in a second lockdown - we are here for you, day and night."
If any women are worried about not attending their appointments because they're self-isolating, please rest assured that we will offer new appointments for when it ends. If you have an urgent problem, you can speak to a midwife or doctor at our Maternity Assessment Unit.
We are running our usual high risk antenatal clinics in the Horton and at the John Radcliffe, and the ultrasound departments at both hospitals are also still running. Our midwives are still able to see women regularly in pregnancy including in Banbury, Chipping Norton, Wantage and Wallingford, as well as in Oxford.
The latest visiting guidance for maternity services is on our Maternity website. Our visiting guidance is kept under constant review, and any updates to the current system will be shared on our website.