Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Every maternity hospital is now publishing a monthly maternity patient safety statement, as recommended in 2014 in the Chief Medical Officer's report on prenatal services in Portlaoise. I can also report that the draft scheme for the health information and patient safety Bill will provide for mandatory external reporting of serious reportable events that arise in the health service. The Bill, which is currently with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for drafting, will require health service providers to report such events to the State Claims Agency, the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Mental Health Commission. The Department is aware of four infant deaths which occurred at Cavan General Hospital's maternity services between 2012 and 2015. Each of those deaths is the subject of a review. I understand that one of the reviews has been completed and two others are at an advanced stage. The early completion of these reviews is obviously important for the families concerned. It will ensure any lessons to be learned will be implemented in our maternity services. I will deal with the recruitment situation in my follow-up reply.

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