Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2017
294. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his plans to downgrade the maternity services at Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33210/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy can be assured that I have no plans to downgrade the maternity services at Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar.
The National Maternity Strategy recognises that smaller maternity services cannot, and should not, operate in isolation as stand-alone entities. Those units cannot sustain the breadth and depth of clinical services that the populations they serve require without formal links to larger units. Accordingly, Maternity Networks are being established across Hospital Groups and this is being overseen by the National Women & Infants Health Programme. Through the development of the networks, and the sharing of expertise within the networks, the operational resilience of smaller units will be strengthened and such units can be supported to provide safe high quality maternity services.
