30 MFómh 2015, 14:18
The Joint Committee on Health and Children will resume its discussion on maternity services when it meets tomorrow, Thursday, 1st October 2015.
30th September 2015
The Committee will meet in two separate sessions, as follows:
Session A: 9.30 a.m.
• Liam Woods, National Director, Acute Hospitals Division;
• Angela Fitzgerald, Deputy National Director, Acute Hospitals Division;
• Patrick Lynch, National Director, Quality Assurance & Verification;
• Dr Susan O’Reilly , CEO, Dublin Midlands Hospitals Group;
• Dr Alan Finan, Consultant Paediatrician, Cavan Hospital, & Clinical Director for Women and Children’s Services (RCSI Hospital Group).
Session B: 11.30 a.m.
• Dr. Chris Fitzpatrick, Consultant, Coombe Women and Infants Maternity Hospital.
Committee Chair, Jerry Buttimer TD says: “The context of tomorrow’s meeting is set by meetings our Committee held in May regarding the babies who died at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.”
“Last week our Committee met with the Masters of the Coombe and Rotunda Maternity Hospitals to examine the issues that contributed towards the recent problems in our national maternity services. Following on from that meeting, we will reconvene tomorrow to continue our examination of the issues, with a particular focus on smaller and regional maternity units. The HSE will update us as to progress that has been made in order to improve our maternity services to a level of safety in which we can all have confidence.”
“The Committee will wish to assess the procedures in place in the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise and Cavan General Hospital following concerns about the standard of safety of the maternity services there.”
“Dr Chris Fitzpatrick will also appear before the Committee and will engage with members on the clinical risks that were highlighted, as well as the work that needs to be done in order to fully re-establish and maintain confidence in our maternity services.”
The meeting will start in Committee Room 2, LH 2000, at 9.30am tomorrow, Thursday, 1st October 2015.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
ENDS
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Committee Membership
Chairman: Jerry Buttimer
Deputies
Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Joe Costello, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy
Senators
Colm Burke, Thomas Byrne, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry and Jillian Van Turnhout