Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1755. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the outstanding measures in the National Maternity Strategy; the estimated additional funding this requires for full implementation; the basis on which this funding must be made available that is, one-off or recurring the revenue and capital split of this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35463/21]
View answerThe National Maternity Strategy, published in 2016, aims to ensure that appropriate care pathways are in place in order that mothers, babies and families get the right care, at the right time, from the right team and in the right place. Similarly, the Strategy aims to increase choice for women whilst ensuring that services are safe, standardised and of the highest quality. The phased implementation of the Strategy is ongoing and is being led by the National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP). €9.65m in new development funding was allocated during the period 2016-2020, while very significant investment of €7.317m was provided in Budget 2020 to ensure a renewed impetus to the implementation of the Strategy.
The 2020 HIQA report “Overview report of HIQA’s monitoring programme against the National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services” recommended that the HSE develop a comprehensive, time-bound and fully costed National Maternity Strategy implementation plan. In line with HIQA's recommendation, the Strategy's implementation plan is currently being reviewed by the NWIHP with a view to assessing the overall status of implementation and to provide up-to-date timelines for the individual recommendations. The ongoing and outstanding actions will form the basis of the revised implementation plan and will have specific timelines set out in the document. NWIHP have advised that the revised plan is due to be completed in the coming weeks. As part of the development of the revised implementation plan, the HSE is currently assessing the additional funding that will be required over the remaining five years of the Strategy's lifetime.
In relation to capital funding, the 2020 HIQA report also recommended that the HSE conduct a review of the infrastructural deficits of each maternity services to bring them into line with HIQA’s Infection Prevention and Control Standards and HIQA’s Better Safer Maternity Care Standards. While this process has not yet commenced, the NWIHP have advised that it is envisaged that significant capital funding will be required to bring maternity hospitals and units up to the required standard.
