Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lisa Chambers for raising this important matter, which gives me the opportunity to update the House on the position regarding staffing levels at the maternity unit at Mayo University Hospital. I have been informed by the HSE that the staff allocation levels at Mayo University Hospital have not been reduced. However, a number of posts are vacant through unexpected sick leave, maternity leave and retirements. As I understand it, some of these vacancies have already been filled and work to fill the remaining vacancies, both on a permanent and temporary basis, continues. I have been assured that all shifts are reviewed on a daily and weekly basis and set staffing levels are in place to ensure safety.

I should also mention that proposals agreed at the WRC between the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform, the HSE, the INMO and SIPTU have committed to increases in the HSE’s national workforce plan for nurses and midwives in 2017. Management will increase the nursing and midwifery workforce in 2017 through a broad range of initiatives that will result in the delivery of 1,208 additional permanent posts, including the conversion of agency staff to HSE direct employees and offering all graduating nurses and midwives full-time contracts. This is in addition to the many other initiatives currently under way to improve nursing and midwifery staffing levels throughout the country. The number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 113 whole-time equivalents from the end of March to the end of April. Numbers increased by 625 whole-time equivalents between the end of April 2016 and April 2017. I am delighted to confirm that the overall number of nursing whole-time equivalents is at the highest level since 2011, with numbers increasing since 2015 notwithstanding intense global competition for our nurses and midwives. The HSE’s national recruitment service is actively operating rolling nursing recruitment campaigns. Recruitment open days were run over Christmas and more recently in March. In addition, a HSE delegation attended health sector jobs fairs in London and Cardiff, with further recruitment events scheduled in early June.

The Deputy can be assured that this Government is fully committed to the progressive development of our maternity services. Last year saw the publication of Ireland’s first ever national maternity strategy, as well as the HSE’s national standards for bereavement care following pregnancy loss and perinatal death and HIQA’s national standards for safer, better maternity services. In addition, each of our 19 maternity units is now publishing a maternity patient safety statement on a monthly basis. I am sure Members will agree that these developments represent key building blocks to enable us to provide a consistently safe and high-quality maternity service. The HSE’s national women and infants health programme is currently developing a plan for the implementation of the maternity strategy. In that context, the programme is engaging with the Saolta University Health Care Group to scope out its requirements. I look forward to receiving this plan at the end of June.

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