A father who found out his baby son had leukaemia in a hospital car park has slammed the Covid rules banning both parents from going to appointments as “cruel”.
Nineteen-month-old Carson Josephson needs regular treatment at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, Cardiff however Covid rules mean only one parent can go with him, with his father Jason having to wait outside for hours for news.
Cardiff and Vale health board said it followed Welsh government guidance and made allowances “as appropriate”.
Carson, from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at the start of lockdown last year, and had a bone marrow transplant in Bristol in October.
Since then, he has been receiving treatment going to the hospital in Cardiff but while his mum Carrie goes with him, his dad Jason has to wait outside.
“It’s absolutely cruel that two parents can’t be there to support their children,” said Jason, who cannot go inside to hear updates from consultants due to the one-parent rule.
Under Welsh government guidance to hospitals during the pandemic, only one parent, guardian or carer is allowed at child or baby’s bedside at a time.
However, each health board is allowed “discretion” to agree to visits if the “benefits to the well-being of the patient or visitor” outweigh the risk of Covid.
Jason said having to sit in the hospital car park waiting for news about his son’s health was like being “in a prison cell”.
He was first told his son had cancer by his wife, who rang him as he sat outside their local hospital in Carmarthen after being unable to go inside.
“It crushed me… I couldn’t imagine how my wife was feeling,” he said.
He continued: “I just wanted to get into the hospital and put my arms around both of them but I was informed that I was not allowed. I couldn’t think of a worse pain.”
The Welsh government said health boards, trusts and hospices had the “flexibility to amend visiting requirements and be sensitive to individual situations”.
“We understand this is an extremely difficult and worrying time for parents and carers of sick children. The well-being of children and young people is at the heart of our guidance.”
However, the Josephson family said they did not understand how people were allowed to go out to pubs and restaurants, but they were still unable to attend their son’s appointments together.
“No parent should have to deal with this by themselves without their partner there. To have restaurants and pubs open, it’s selfish, it’s really selfish. We feel like we’re on our own,” they said.
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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