John Gormley
Ceist:220 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department supports the DOMINO Project by the Eastern Health Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25585/98]
Written Answers - Maternity Services.
John Gormley
Ceist:221 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if it costs the State a minimum of £1,500 to deliver a baby in hospital while midwives charge in the region of £900 to deliver a baby at home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25586/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together.
My Department's policy on births is informed by the report of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme Review Group which was circulated in April 1997. This report gives a strong endorsement to the policy that the safest place to have a baby is in a well-equipped and staffed maternity hospital or unit. It also recognised that one of the main reasons why women opt to give birth at home is their desire for a positive experience in friendly, familiar surroundings where they retain full control. The review group recommended that a number of approaches to the management of pregnancy and birth be pilot tested and one of these is the DOMINO—domiciliary care in and out of hospital—Project.
This project allows the midwife/general practitioner to monitor the mother throughout her pregnancy, to be with her in hospital and to continue to provide care on her return home. The project, which also includes an outreach/home birth aspect, is based at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles St and is funded by my Department through the Eastern Health Board.
Based on information supplied by the National Maternity Hospital, I am informed that the average cost of a normal delivery in hospital is £1,283 and up to £4,000 where special care is required for the baby following birth. Independent mid-wives provide care as private practitioners to women who wish to give birth at home and consequently they determine their own scale of fees. Where a women engages the service of an independent midwife for a domiciliary birth, health boards pay a maximum grant of £600.