New Guidelines For Hospital Visiting During Pandemic
Changes have been made because of the varying Covid picture across Wales.
New guidelines for hospital visiting across Wales during the Coronavirus outbreak are being published today.
Health boards, trusts and hospices will have more flexibility to depart from the national guidance because of the significant variation in community transmission across Wales.
This means medics will be able to assess local factors and work with Public Health Wales when agreeing visiting arrangements.
Visiting in maternity units will now be based on risk assessment but all women will be allowed to have at least one partner with them during active labour and birth.
Plaid Cymru has called for greater clarity on the changes.
Bethan Sayed MS, Plaid Cymru's South Wales West representative, said she was pleased that the Welsh Government had listened to mothers like herself and made it easier in theory for partners to accompany mothers-to-be through the maternity process.
However she was uneasy about the Welsh Government expecting individual hospital managements to make decisions that could, in some areas, see hospital visiting become even more restricted.
Ms Jenkins said: "This has been a really difficult time for any expectant or new parents - giving birth can be traumatic enough at times but having to do so during Covid-19 restrictions and without a supportive partner at your side at all times, makes matters far worse.
"I'm glad the Welsh Government has taken our concerns on board after months of campaigning and performed something of a U-turn.
"But I'm also concerned that we could see a piecemeal situation develop if the rules are different in every hospital and potentially far stricter than they are now.
"Plaid Cymru had scheduled a debate on this very matter in the Senedd in the next few days so perhaps that helped speed up the Government's response, which I hope will make life easier for expectant and new mothers and their partners."