In recent months we have seen yet more headlines concerning problems in the health services. This week we saw headlines that would frighten any pregnant woman, such as: "Maternity services collapsing", "Critical talks on midwife crisis", and "Midwifery in crisis". Conflicting advice has been offered. The Eastern Regional Health Authority has made suggestions concerning the care of pregnant women, which differ from what the Minister for Health and Children is saying. We have also had warnings from the masters of the Dublin maternity hospitals saying they cannot cope with the numbers of pregnant women.
It is clear that maternity services around the country are near to breakdown point because of the huge number of vacancies both at midwife and consultant level. The Irish Nurses Organisation has called on the Government to take emergency measures to resolve the crisis. It has also called for urgent talks on the matter.
The Minister should outline what co-ordinated action is being taken to provide some reassurance for pregnant women. The maternity hospitals require guidelines in order to advise where pregnant women can have their babies. Women should not be left wondering whether they will be able to give birth at the hospital they are booked into.
I asked the Minister about this matter several months ago and it is interesting now to re-read his reply. He stated:
My Department is advised by the authority that it is not aware of particular resourcing difficulties affecting the Dublin maternity hospitals.
Everyone else knew there was a difficulty of resources in those hospitals for quite some time, so what happened to planning? Why was the Minister not aware of the matter? Does he not take any responsibility for the long-term planning of the health services? He talks a great deal about health strategy, yet a few months ago he said he was not aware of any crisis in the Dublin maternity hospitals. Everyone knows they have been in a state of crisis for quite some time. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say about this crisis which is affecting hospitals.
I pay tribute to the work of the nurses, doctors and other staff in the maternity hospitals. We all recognise the pressures under which they are working. They do not need to read about that sort of uncertainty in the newspapers, or hear of it from the broadcasting media. The crisis cannot remain unresolved for very much longer because it puts too much pressure on already pressurised staff.
Moving pregnant women from pillar to post is unacceptable and we know well that it will not solve the midwifery crisis. Telling mothers not to have their babies in Dublin hospitals if they are from outside the region is not the answer to solving the growing crisis caused by the falling number of midwives in Dublin. The Minister must take responsibility for this matter and cannot shift the blame as he has tried to do. In recent months, I have tabled numerous questions about the crisis in maternity units, but each time he responds by saying the Eastern Regional Health Authority will solve it.
This week, some crisis meetings are finally being held. The policy has failed and something must happen to change it. The ERHA has apparently suggested that the shortage of midwives can be addressed by preventing mothers who do not reside in Dublin from giving birth in Dublin hospitals. This measure has failed for the past 18 months because women residing outside Dublin may still give birth in Dublin if a consultant in their region refers them to a Dublin hospital on clinical grounds.
The master of one Dublin maternity hospital, Dr. Keane, said they had tried this policy but it had not worked for the past 18 months. Why should it work now? The suggestion appears to be flawed. Conflicting messages are unacceptable, particularly in this area. The Minister should be able to clarify the situation and provide some hope that it can be resolved. It has also been suggested that asylum seekers who are resident outside Dublin should not be permitted to give birth in Dublin hospitals. If this plan is not workable for female citizens of the State who continue to come to Dublin maternity hospitals to give birth, why should it be any different for asylum seekers? If they continue to come to Dublin why should it be different for asylum seekers?
Sending pregnant women from pillar to post is not the way to run a modern, professional health service. We have reports from Limerick, Cavan and Monaghan of problems in maternity units. There is no clarity in the policy regarding local maternity units. If the Minister of State is going to tell women to stay outside Dublin while, at the same time, maternity units are being closed, what are women to do? This is a contradictory situation.
