Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 April 2017
568. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the exact location of the proposed site for the first new midwifery led unit to be built as part of the national maternity strategy; and when it is due to be opened [17970/17]
View answer570. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health when as part of efforts to bring down unnecessary interventions all women attending hospital antenatal clinics under the maternity and infant care scheme will attend wholly midwifery led antenatal clinics [17972/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 570 together.
Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 - recognises pregnancy and birth as a normal physiological process. It aims to ensure appropriate care pathways are in place in order that mothers, babies and families get the right care, at the right time, by the right team and in the right place. Similarly, it recognises that, while all pregnant women need a certain level of support, some will require more specialised care. Accordingly, it proposes an integrated model of care that encompasses all the necessary safety nets in line with patient safety principles. The model consists of three care pathways - Supported, Assisted and Specialised. The Strategy also proposes the development of Alongside Birth Centres across each Maternity Network.
The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis and this work will be led by the newly established National Women & Infants Health Programme. The Programme is drawing up a detailed action plan to inform this process, which will include plans to roll out the new care pathways and birth centres. This work will also include the identification of both capital and revenue funding requirements, which will in turn inform the annual Estimates process over the lifetime of the Strategy. The Strategy states that intrapartum guidelines will be developed through the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) process. To that end, Professor Michael Turner is the Chair of the guideline development group and work has commenced.
