Document facilitator: Penny Wyatt Senior document owner: Clinical Leader Obstetrics

Document number: GA CL-16 Issue Date 24 Febuary 2015 Review Date 24 Febuary 2016
GA CL-16 V7.0

Type: Policy

Name: Partners or support people staying overnight within

the Womens Health Service

Purpose
Whilst it is not routine for support people to stay overnight the Womens Health
Service (WHS) recognises that there are some situations where it would be
advantageous for support people to stay overnight to support mothers.

This policy is to guide and support staff in their decision making process around
when permission is appropriate.

Sole staffing and security issues mean that there is no provision for partners or
support persons to stay overnight at Kenepuru or Paraparaumu maternity units.

Scope
All Womens Health Services staff
Access holders
Social workers

Definitions
Support person/people: a person designated by the woman to support her overnight.
This may be a partner, family member or friend

Indications for a support person receiving permission to stay overnight

In all circumstances:
The request must be approved by the Charge Nurse/Midwife Manager,
Associate Charge Midwife Manager (ACM) or coordinating midwife/nurse
There must be a valid clinical indication
The woman must be in a single room
The woman must consent that she wishes that a support person to stay with
her
A lazy boy/arm chair will be provided where possible, for the support person
The Family Violence screening must have been completed by the Lead
Maternity Carer (LMC) antenatally. There must have been no family
violence concerns raised or documented

Maternity indications include

When the infant is critically ill
When the woman is seriously unwell

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Document facilitator: Penny Wyatt Senior document owner: Clinical Leader Obstetrics
Document number: GA CL-16 Issue Date 24 Febuary 2015 Review Date 24 Febuary 2016
GA CL-16 V7.0

When support is being provided for a woman who is experiencing stress, grief
or loss.
When there is a complex feeding plan in place
When there has been a multiple birth
When support is required for a woman undergoing a second trimester
termination of pregnancy.
When the woman is under 16 years of age, a parent and/or adult female is
required to be present
When communication is a problem for example the woman cannot speak
English.
Where the woman has a medical or physical condition which requires the
presence of a support person for example, blindness, paraplegia or a mental
health problem

Gynaecological indications include:

When a woman is admitted to the Gynaecology inpatient ward with a
breastfeeding child - then a support person is requested to stay and provide
ongoing support / care for that child.
When support is being provided for a woman who is experiencing stress, grief
or loss.
When the woman is seriously unwell or requires ongoing support due to a
diagnosis of cancer
When communication is a problem for example the woman cannot speak
English
Where the woman has a medical or physical condition which requires the
presence of a support person- for example, blindness, paraplegia or a mental
health problem.
When the woman is under 16 years of age, an adult female is required to be
present.

Procedure
All requests to stay overnight must be directed to, and approved by, the
Charge Nurse/Midwife Manager, Associate Charge Midwife (ACM) Manager
or in her absence the coordinating nurse / midwife.
A nightly register of visitors staying overnight on the ward will be kept by the
ACM
The support person must wear a coloured identification bracelet, labelled
VISITOR
A Contract of Expectations (Appendix 1) must be signed by the woman and
her support person, before a support person is permitted to stay. A copy of
this is given to the support person and the original is filed in the womans
notes
Any support person who is staying overnight must be identified by placing an
asterisk on the allocation board beside the womans name and their name
entered on the handover sheet, for the event of an emergency.
The support person must wear a visitors ID wrist band, and wear appropriate
clothing at all times.

Capital Docs ID 1.182 Page 2 of 3

Date printed from CapitalDoc 10/03/2015
Regard printed versions of this document as out of date The CapitalDoc
document is the most current version
Document facilitator: Penny Wyatt Senior document owner: Clinical Leader Obstetrics
Document number: GA CL-16 Issue Date 24 Febuary 2015 Review Date 24 Febuary 2016
GA CL-16 V7.0

When possible, a lazy-boy chair will be provided by the WHS. Due to infection
control and Health & Safety standards, it is not permissible to have a support
person sleeping on a hospital mattress on the floor or sharing the bed
with the woman. However, if they want to bring their own sleeping mat, it
must be safely positioned to allow full access for staff
Meals will not be provided for support person. The WHS social worker
can be contacted from Monday to Friday if there is a concern re financial
hardship.
Where there is a sole use en suite shower and toilet, these may be used by
the support person. Where facilities are shared between rooms for the in-
patient women these cannot be used by support people staying overnight.
Support people should be encouraged to go home to shower, but if not
practicable, may they use the Unisex shower and toilet located at the end of
Pod D by the staff toilets.
Only one support person is permitted to stay.
Children are not permitted to stay overnight (except for young
breastfeeding babies on the gynaecology ward, in which case a support
person is requested to stay and care for that child.)

If a staff member feels unsafe at any time she/he should contact the
security orderlies immediately on 777 and state: security emergency
and your location

Associated documents
W&CHS PPPG:
Working with partner abuse social work procedure
Security policy

Appendices
Appendix 1: Information and Contract of expectations for support persons
staying overnight within the Womens Health Service

Disclaimer: This document has been developed by Capital & Coast District
Health Board (C&C DHB) specifically for its own use. Use of this document and
any reliance on the information contained therein by any third party is at their own
risk and C&C DHB assumes no responsibility whatsoever.

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Date printed from CapitalDoc 10/03/2015
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