Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for agreeing that the best outcomes for mothers and babies are the key objective. HIQA's Portlaoise hospital report makes eight recommendations, of which I want to pick out two. In terms of the recommendations to the Department of Health, the third is to develop a national maternity strategy. In terms of the recommendations to the HSE, the sixth is to develop a strong clinical network. These are very important recommendations and, in that context, what has happened is that the Minister has developed the group to further develop the national maternity strategy. That is the right approach because people have to sit down and look at where we are now, what are the resources and what will produce the best outcomes. That is good and should be welcomed.

The other recommendation is to develop strong clinical networks. We have a long tradition in maternity services in this country which has been very good in terms of the commitment of the people who work in the services to the health of mothers and babies. They are the obstetricians, the midwives and all others who work in the services and their commitment goes back generations. In the case of Portlaoise hospital, what has happened - perhaps it is something that might be explored in the case of Cavan General Hospita - is that a network has been developed in the context of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. The Coombe Women and Infant University Hospital, a recognised international centre of excellence, has, as we all know, a very high number of births annually. We know that there is a correlation, particularly when there are difficulties, between births which offer challenges to the mother or the baby and medical expertise with a high volume of experience. We know this from other areas.

The relationship and protocol established by the Coombe and Portlaoise hospitals make a lot of sense and will have to be resourced. I have had a private conversation with the Minister about the matter. It is a good approach, but it requires resourcing. We know in the case of Portlaoise hospital that there have been significant additional resources. There have also been failures in the practice of what we have come to expect as a people from medical services. Elements of it, including the management issues that arise, are under examination. That is the right way to approach the matter.

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