Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We all accept that the health sector must make its contribution to national recovery but we should not expect those who rely on our health services to make sacrifices over and above what would be considered reasonable. The impact this is having on the broader provision of services is now at a critical stage. The INMO has indicated that current staff to patient ratios in maternity units range from 1:32 in Mayo General Hospital to 1:55 in the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise which, as we know, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by HIQA into a number of infant deaths. That is an issue of grave concern.

We have seen the leaked report of the review of maternity services in the north west which has set alarm bells ringing, particularly in the context of midwife-led services in some hospitals and obstetrics-led services in others. The dearth of staff in our maternity services is an issue of major concern. We need to see the embargo being lifted in the critical areas. We do not want to see appointments made on a one-on-one basis, but rather a policy reversal in key front-line service areas.

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