Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
559. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has eight midwifery-led units under its governance with midwives working as autonomous professionals who operate independently from consultant-led units with appropriate multidisciplinary discussions only as needed. [10908/20]
View answerI am aware that there are a number of midwifery-led units operating in Northern Ireland. In that regard the Deputy may wish to note that the National Maternity Strategy, Creating A Better Future Together, 2016 – 2026 was informed by an international literature review. That review involved an analysis of the strategic approaches to maternity services in seven jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland.
In addition, the Maternity Strategy Steering Group received presentations from Dr Paul Fogarty, Senior Vice President, Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in relation to A Strategy for Maternity Care in Northern Ireland, 2012-2018, and from Ms Polly Ferguson, Nursing Officer Maternity Services and Early Years in relation to A Strategic Vision for Maternity Services in Wales (2011) and heard at first hand how those Strategies were developed. Both of those strategies supported the principle of midwifery led care for pregnant women deemed to be at normal risk, and that principle now underpins our National Maternity Strategy which was published in 2016.
