Mom says they told her that Dad’s presence might offend Muslim women on the ward. They, however, deny this. “Maternity hospital with ‘no room for the father,'” from the Daily Mail, with thanks to usashopper:
A nervous mother-to-be paid £10,000 to give birth privately because an NHS hospital would not let her husband stay with her overnight.
Ann Quayle says a midwife told her his presence could offend Muslim women on the ward.
But 44-year-old Miss Quayle, who has had two miscarriages, said she would have been too upset and scared without him at her side.
She said: “I accept that religion and culture should be catered for but so should my needs. If we’re supposed to be a multicultural society, we don’t need people spouting this kind of nonsense.”
‘Offending Muslim women’
The Royal Free Hospital, in North-west London, categorically denied, however, that Mr Kellers had been refused permission to stay because of offending Muslim women.
It said in a statement: “We cannot accommodate partners because women receiving ante-natal care are in fourbedded bays, like other patients. As soon as labour starts the woman and her birth partner can be together on the labour ward.
“We don’t know whether anyone made any comments about the religious or cultural needs of other patients but certainly that would not be an appropriate comment. It was not the reason that Miss Quayle’s husband could not stay the night.”