Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
892. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost of making access to non-invasive prenatal testing freely available as part of the maternity and infant care scheme. [34577/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra893. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost of making access to combined prenatal testing including nuchal translucency scan freely available as part of the maternity and infant care scheme. [34578/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra894. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost of ensuring universal access to 20-week foetal anomaly scans as part of the maternity and infant care scheme. [34579/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 892 to 894, inclusive, together.
The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care, free of charge, to an expectant mother arising out of her pregnancy and to her new born baby for six weeks after birth. All expectant mothers who are ordinarily resident in Ireland are eligible to avail of services under the scheme. Women who choose to avail of these services are under the care of both a general practitioner of their choice and a hospital obstetrician. Care can be obtained from any general practitioner who has a contract for the provision of services under the scheme. The scheme provides for 12 ante-natal visits – six to the general practitioner and six to the chosen maternity unit/hospital in the case of a first pregnancy. In subsequent pregnancies, there are seven visits to the general practitioner and five to the maternity unit/hospital. There are also two post-natal visits to the general practitioner – at two weeks for the baby and at six weeks for mother and baby.
Action 63 of The National Maternity Strategy – Creating a Better Future Together 2016-2026 commits the HSE to ensure "...a review of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme is undertaken, and any necessary adaptations made, to reflect the new Model of Care proposed in this Strategy."
As the questions relate to clinical issues, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
