The mother set up the petition after her newborn son spent much of the coronavirus lockdown in hospital. It was launched a week ago and had been signed by 77,500 people by 4.15pm on Sunday.
The mother claims she has only been allowed to visit her son in hospital on her own without his father, describing it as “heartbreaking”.
The petition says: “Can you imagine being separated from your sick child with no access for weeks on end?
“Can you imagine getting the worst news about your child’s health alone? Or sitting alone next to your sick child’s bed?
“It’s quite simply heartbreaking. But that’s the reality for families like ours at the moment.
“At the beginning of lockdown our second child arrived. A beautiful baby boy.
“After a stint at home our son got really sick. We spent most of May and June in various hospitals.
“In all that time, except for 12 hours when we weren’t sure if he would pull through, hospital visiting policies meant I was the only person allowed to be with him. Not even his dad could visit him with me.”
The mother adds that not having her partner with her has been “torture”.
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“It. Was. Hell. There are no words I can put together here to describe to you what it was like.”
The mother claims she saw other parents in the same position with only one being able to visit their child, describing it as “unnecessary”.
She says: “With Covid not going away anytime soon we need to reevaluate policies and look for long term measures that prioritise people.
“Yes the economy matters. But Family, friends, love, support, these things matter too!
“A sick child needs their parents. A parent with a sick child needs access to their child. Anyone going through the hell of their child in hospital needs support.
“I’m calling for Matt Hancock and all the NHS trusts to change their policies and allow two people to be with a sick child, in neonatal units and in children’s hospitals.”
According to the NHS’s website, most hospitals have stopped or limited visits to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “The safety of our patients and their families is always the absolute priority, which is why guidance on safe visiting was developed at the start of the pandemic in line with government advice on social distancing and the NHS is continuing to work with frontline professionals and patient groups to open up services safely.”
