Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 February 2014
15. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to restore public confidence in the quality of the maternity service being provided at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, in view of the number of expectant mothers who will attend the hospital in the coming weeks and months. [6703/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI believe that it is vitally important that we restore public confidence in the quality of the maternity services at Portlaoise, and have already taken steps to do so. My priority is to establish how our services failed the families involved and, if so, take remedial action to ensure that it can never happen again. I therefore moved immediately to ask the Chief Medical Officer to provide me with an urgent report on the issues arising. This report will inform the terms of reference of any subsequent HIQA review into this issue.
I am acutely aware of the concerns of many pregnant women throughout the country, and I want to reassure them that Ireland is a safe country in which to have a baby. Compared to neighbouring countries, we have low rates of perinatal deaths, and the rates continue to fall. The perinatal mortality rate is estimated by the ESRI at 5.9 per 1,000 live births and stillbirths in 2012 – a decline of 31% since 2003. Advances in antenatal, obstetric and neonatal care have contributed to our declining perinatal mortality rate.
The Deputy might also like to note that my Department, in conjunction with the HSE, will develop a new National Maternity Strategy this year. This will provide the strategic direction for the optimal development of our maternity services to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care, in a setting most appropriate to their needs. The Strategy will ensure that going forward our services are fit for purpose and in accordance with best available national and international evidence.
