It is our priority that pregnant people have support from a support partner through pregnancy and childbirth. It is also our priority to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and keep pregnant people and staff safe.

From Thursday 6 May, pregnant people and their supporting partners* attending 12-week and 20-week scans, and any hospital appointments in maternity services, should make arrangements to have a lateral flow test 24 hours before their appointment in line with NHS England guidelines. Lateral flow tests should be used if you do not have symptoms. If you do have symptoms of COVID-19, you must have a PCR test at your local test site or pharmacy test kits.

Further information about Lateral Flow Testing can be accessed here.

Ideally, a lateral flow test should be done as near to the appointment as possible.

If you have a positive result from the Lateral Flow Test, you must begin to self-isolate with those you live with, and make arrangements to have a PCR test at your local site. Please contact the hospital immediately for advice and support – do not attend the hospital until staff have been able to advise you.

It is our priority that pregnant people have support from a support partner through pregnancy and childbirth. It is also our priority to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and keep pregnant people and staff safe.

On arrival to the appointment, the pregnant person and their supporting partner will be asked whether they have had a lateral flow test, or have any symptoms of COVID. The test is not mandatory but recommended as per government guidance. We respectfully ask as per national guidance that all pregnant people and support partners show evidence of their test result upon entry to Reception. This will enhance the safety of pregnant people and staff.

You can get a lateral flow test within the East Lancashire Community setting at one of the many local public walk-in test sites. Find your nearest testing site here.

This guidance has been put in place to provide safe and personalised maternity care and to support attendance at maternity appointments. A test is suggested to increase the safety of women, hospital patients, staff and the wider community.

Read the full information document on testing maternity service users here.

*A supporting partner is defined as anyone chosen by the pregnant person to accompany her throughout her maternity journey. A pregnant person can be accompanied by a different supporting partner at different stages in the journey.