Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this very important issue. It was intended to be raised yesterday, which was World Prematurity Day, but due to the change in business and the statements in the House I am raising it today.

In recognition of yesterday being World Prematurity Day, I wish to raise the need for the Government to make prematurity and neonatal health a health care and welfare policy priority. Approximately 4,500 babies are born prematurely every year in Ireland and yet despite that, there is no national neonatal health policy or programme in place. The number of premature births is rising but, sadly, the issue is not on our radar. It was not on my radar until my first granddaughter was born ten weeks premature almost two years ago. Amy-Berry, who spent 81 days in hospital before being brought home, is thankfully thriving today and that is due to the excellent care she received in both Cork University Maternity Hospital and in the maternity services unit in South Tipperary General Hospital. The health care professionals were excellent and the care she received both in hospital and in the follow-up process was second to none. It is important to state that fact.

I compliment and thank the staff in both hospitals as well as the early intervention team in south Tipperary all of whom have been fantastic. That said, there are significant issues surrounding preterm birth in this country which need to be addressed. It is not acceptable that the care any vulnerable preterm baby should receive would be dependent on his or her geographic location. Our neonatal health policy is fragmented and unco-ordinated and the absence of a targeted national policy is preventing access to high quality health care and social support for preterm infants and their families.

Two years ago, the national neonatal transport programme was thankfully extended to a 24 hour service. This year the focus is on the need to put in place and fund a retro transfer service. We have experience of this system working very well whereby my granddaughter, Amy, who was born in Cork, was transferred back to South Tipperary General Hospital after seven weeks when she became well enough to continue care there, thereby freeing up an intensive care unit bed in Cork. Beds in intensive care units are vital. The transfer of patients frees up pressure on the hospital system and can reduce the pressure on families as their child can be moved to a regional hospital closer to home for continuing care. That is important for families and extended families. This system works well but in order to ensure that every baby in the country has access to equal care, we need a fully operational retro service to compliment the neonatal transport programme. It is important to free up pressure in regional hospitals and it brings babies closer to home in local hospitals.

The second major issue is the lack of consistent follow-up care for preterm infants across the country. Geography plays a vital role in determining what aftercare services one can avail of. That is not right or fair by any yardstick. Some units carry out developmental check-ups but, sadly, many do not because they do not have the expertise and resources to do so. That discriminates against certain regions and affects families and their children in those areas. If we invested in adequate follow-up care for neonates, we would pick up on far more developmental problems and initiate early intervention at the earliest possible opportunity. It is vital that we would pick up on a range of issues that might affect infants and provide timely intervention. As I am out of time, I will wait for the Minister of State to reply before I add anything further.

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