Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2015
178. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health his views on the figures from the State Claims Agency indicating a higher number of claims against maternity hospitals outside of Dublin than in Dublin, over the past three years; if he has taken any measures to investigate this; and if he will report on discussions he has had regarding this matter with hospital management, the Health Service Executive and Department officials. [19122/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraApproximately 60% of births occur in HSE run maternity units and 40% in Dublin voluntary maternity hospital units.
The State Claims Agency (SCA) has provided further clarification in relation to the figures it released to a Sunday newspaper, which were based on a very specific series of questions from that newspaper.
The SCA has advised my Department that when symphysiotomy claims are removed from the figures originally provided, the following information emerges. Approximately 70% of claims are against HSE run maternity hospital units and 30% are against Dublin voluntary maternity hospital units. Claims against HSE run maternity units as a percentage of overall national births amount to 0.20% for 2014. Claims against voluntary maternity hospital units amount to 0.13% for 2014.
These figures provide a more significant contextualisation of the figures which appeared in the Sunday newspaper.
My Department is developing a National Maternity Strategy which will provide strategic direction for the optimal development of maternity services to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. A Maternity Strategy Steering Group has been established to advise on the development of the Strategy. The Head of Clinical Risk in the State Claims Agency is a member of the Group.
I also intend to establish a National Women & Infants Health Programme to address and improve maternity services around the country and to implement the policy being developed by the Maternity Strategy Steering Group. The Programme will provide the cross-sectoral framework and the necessary governance, integration and leadership to drive reform and standardise care across all 19 maternity units.
|
Maternity Services Claims Created as a % of Total (excl Symphysiotomy) |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 % |
2013 % |
2014 % |
|
|
HSE run |
69.4 |
67 |
70.4 |
|
Voluntary run |
30.6 |
33 |
29.6 |
|
Maternity Services Claims Created (excl Symphysiotomy) as % of Births |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 % |
2013 % |
2014 % |
|
|
HSE run |
0.19 |
0.15 |
0.20 |
|
Voluntary run |
0.14 |
0.12 |
0.13 |
