The service plan adopted by the Western Health Board for 2003 stated the need to appoint a consultant neo-natologist to meet both the volume and complexity of cases presenting at University College Hospital, Galway. The service plan approved the transfer of funding from domiciliary home care services to support this priority development. The home birth scheme was suspended by the Western Health Board on this basis.
An application by Parents for Choice in Birth Limited for leave to bring judicial review proceedings seeking to annul the Western Health Board's decision to terminate the home birth scheme was refused in the High Court in July last. I understand that this decision is being appealed to the Supreme Court. In the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this issue at this stage.
I have been advised by the Western Health Board that it is committed to the development of a midwifery led service at UCHG. Proposals for this service have been endorsed by midwifery, obstetric and management staff at the hospital. Although significant progress has been made in this regard, some outstanding industrial relations issues have yet to be resolved. The board proposes to initiate the service once these have been addressed.
I understand that an internal review of the home birth pilot project, by the steering committee, has taken place and was issued at the end of September 2003. I should also say that the domiciliary births group, established by the health board chief executive officers, has commissioned an external evaluation of the three pilot home birth projects in Dublin, Cork and Galway, and the service in the South-Eastern Health Board area. This evaluation is due for completion in mid-November 2003. The domiciliary births group will then engage in a public consultation process and report to the chief executive officers in February-March 2004. The group's report will inform the development of future national policies, procedures and protocols for domiciliary births.
