Individual Post

 Sinn Féin MLA Michelle Gildernew has spoken of her outrage at a proposal to ask mothers entering labour wards to produce photographic ID or proof of the right to remain within Britain or the north of Ireland.

Following reports in the Telegraph newspaper Ms Gildernew said:

“The article details plans to ask expectant mothers to produce identification such as passports before being able to avail of NHS treatment.

“The proposal has come from a health trust in London which claims that the British Home Office is keen to support a pilot project.

“It’s disgraceful that any woman entering a labour ward should be asked to produce photographic ID to enable the state to vet her.  

“Such vetting proposals can only add an extra burden to an already stressful and demanding time in a woman’s life.

“It may also target those who are less well off in society who may not always have such identification and in my opinion this is a breach of a woman’s human rights.

“Such a pilot scheme raises many questions for this particular health trust and the ever more right wing Tory party including the denial or delay in treatment which could endanger a mother or her baby.

“I understand that others have already raised such concerns.

“These proposals are dangerous and discriminatory and any plan to vet women in labour should be dropped immediately.”