Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:150. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the allocated funding towards the national maternity strategy, NMS, by current and capital expenditure in each of the years 2018 to 2022. [10485/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 6 March 2018
Ceisteanna (150)
Freagraí scríofa
Implementation of the National Maternity Strategy, Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 will be led by the HSE's National Women & Infants Health Programme. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years and therefore the funding requirement will vary from year to year. The Programme has developed and published an Implementation Plan and this will inform the annual Estimates process each year.
Development funding of €4.55 million was allocated to the Programme in 2018 to implement the Strategy and to improve waiting times for gynaecology services.
Work to identify the precise capital funding requirement is ongoing. However, I am happy to confirm that funding has been provided within the National Development Plan to co-locate all remaining stand-alone maternity hospitals with adult acute hospitals. This will see the National Maternity Hospital relocate to the St Vincent's University Hospital campus, University Maternity Hospital Limerick to the UHL campus at Dooradoyle, the Rotunda to the Connolly Hospital campus and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital to the St James's campus.
The NDP funding will also ensure that we are in a position provide the necessary maternity infrastructure to deliver the new model of care espoused in the Strategy. The infrastructural improvements will extend across the country and include for example Alongside Birth Centres (low tech birth rooms), Early Pregnancy Assessment Units and appropriate patient support rooms. Such developments will underpin the introduction of the new model of maternity care and ensure that care under the new pathways - Supported, Assisted and Specialised – will be provided in comfort and privacy in high-quality settings.