Ciarán Cuffe
Ceist:235 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the breakdown of the figures recently issued in regard to the costs of home births further to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of 13 November 2003. [31521/03]
Written Answers. - Health Board Services.
I am advised by the chief executive officers of the health boards and the regional chief executive of the ERHA that the estimated cost to the State of a home birth, in each health board is as follows:
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|
Board |
Cost |
|
ERHA (National Maternity Hospital) |
Estimated at €2,800 |
|
Midland* |
A home birth grant of up to a maximum of €1,269.74 |
|
Mid-West* |
A home birth grant of up to a maximum of €1,270 |
|
North-Eastern* |
A home birth grant of up to a maximum of €1,270 |
|
North-Western |
A total of €28,000 was paid by the Board in the period January-September 2003 in respect of 13 home births |
|
South-Eastern* |
A home birth grant of up to a maximum of €1,300 |
|
Southern |
The average cost per client participating in the home birth pilot project is €2,856. |
|
Western |
The allocation for the Domino Home Birth Service was €317,000. In 2003 this covered 15 home births and 126 Domino Births |
*Health boards are experiencing difficulties in providing services for home births because of the practice of hospital confinement over the last 20-25 years and the consequent unavailability of experienced practitioners in home delivery. Where a woman chooses to have a home birth and the Health Board cannot provide the service, some boards provide a home birth grant towards the cost of contracting the services of a private midwife.
These figures should not be readily compared to the figures which were provided on the costs of hospital births in Question No. 204 of 13 November 2003. Costs associated with hospital deliveries include complicated cases requiring consultant and theatre time and pregnancies which do not come to term. Home births are generally low risk, uncomplicated low intervention cases.
Denis Naughten
Ceist:236 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the action he is taking to ensure that the most suitable care is provided to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon who is under the supervision of the Western Health Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31540/03]
Responsibility for the provision of care and treatment of the named individual rests with the Western Health Board. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.