I am aware that the previous Minister for Health received representations from the then Minister for Finance in 2006 about the maternity unit at Portlaoise. As overall responsibility for the management and delivery of health services rests with the HSE, the correspondence was forwarded to the executive for attention, as appropriate. The HSE replied directly to the Minister for Finance, acknowledging difficulties at the hospital and outlining proposals to address the situation, including the recruitment of additional midwifery staff and some upgrading of the maternity facilities.
With regard to current staffing at the Portlaoise maternity unit, I understand from the HSE that a number of vacancies exist at present and that service provision is supported by agency midwives. However, the hospital has approval to recruit additional midwives up to the approved complement and this recruitment process is ongoing.
I assure the Deputy that actions are being undertaken across our health services with a view to improving patient safety and providing a more patient-centred model of care. In particular, patient safety has been made a priority within the HSE's annual service plan through specific measures focused on quality and patient safety. My Department is leading the development of a code of governance which will clearly set out employers' responsibilities in achieving optimal safety culture, governance and performance. I have asked HIQA to ensure that my patient safety priorities are included in the monitoring programme against the national standards for safer better health care. I have instructed the national clinical effectiveness committee to commission and quality-assure four priority national guidelines on sepsis, clinical handover, maternal early warning score and paediatric early warning score. This body of work is in progress and well advanced.
My Department, in conjunction with the HSE, is developing a new national maternity strategy to provide the strategic direction for the optimal development of our maternity services. In light of the reports of a number of perinatal deaths at the hospital in recent years, I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to provide me with a report on the issues arising as quickly as possible. This report will inform the terms of reference of any subsequent HIQA review into the issue.
