Royal Bolton Hospital staff have announced that they are now able to allow partners, relatives and friends back for pregnancy appointments.

This comes after pandemic restrictions put severe limits on who was and was not able to enter wards during maternity care in order to limit the spread of infections.

But now, new guidance has been issued as to who is allowed to visit the hospital’s maternity services, which care for around 6000 women every year, alongside the women who have come in for treatment.

A statement from Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are now able to safely welcome back partners, relatives and friends to pregnancy appointments and during labour.

“We know that restricting this was really difficult for people during the pandemic and are really glad that we're now in a position to change this.

“You are able to have, one visitor to antenatal appointments and scans, two birth partners are allowed to attend the Delivery Suite.

“Women accessing Maternity Triage will be allowed one named visitor, sibling visits will take place at 6.30pm-8pm, Two visitors will be allowed at any one time between 6.30pm-8pm.

“One named person will be able to visit between 9am and 9pm, with quiet time between 1pm and 3pm.”