Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “extends its deepest sympathies to the parents and families of babies who died or were harmed at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise; deeply regrets the manner in which they were treated by the health service in the aftermath of their loss; commends the families who spoke out about their experiences for their strength and courage; accepts fully: — the findings and recommendations of the Report of the investigation into the safety, quality and standards of services provided by the Health Service Executive to patients in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA); — that accountability within the health service must reflect patient safety and patient experience; and — that patient safety is not just about staffing numbers, the status of institutions or levels of funding but depends much more on how services are governed, managed and delivered, and on training, risk management, audit, teamwork and quality assurance; acknowledges that the Minister for Health has: — visited Portlaoise and met with and listened to the families; and — issued written direction to the Health Service Executive (HSE) seeking an urgent response to the needs of families regarding case reviews, counselling and immediate supports; recognises that: — the Government is committed to securing and further developing the role of the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise; — the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise is now part of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group and its future role will be determined in that context; — any change to services at the hospital will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner guided by what is best in terms of patient safety and outcomes; — since the publication of the Chief Medical Officer’s report, HSE Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise Perinatal Deaths (2006-date), last year, much has been done to strengthen services at the hospital; — new hospital management is in place, with significantly improved clinical governance and additional key clinical staff have been appointed; — the HSE has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital to provide the country’s first managed clinical maternity network within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group; and — the clinical governance shortcomings in the Portlaoise Hospital Maternity Services identified in the report, will be addressed through the link up with the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital; and supports the Minister for Health’s decision to: — establish a National Women & Infants Health Programme in order to address and improve maternity services around the country; — prioritise the publication of a new National Maternity Strategy in 2015; — quickly establish an Oversight Group in the Department of Health, with representation from patients, to ensure the prompt implementation of the recommendations of the HIQA Report; and — strengthen the Department of Health’s monitoring and oversight role in relation to patient safety."- (Minister for Health).

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