Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to update the House on the report by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, into the services provided at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. As the Deputies are aware, on 5 December HIQA published a review of the progress made at Portlaoise hospital in implementing the recommendations made following HIQA's investigation in 2015. The HIQA report was conducted following a request from the Department of Health, which has been overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the original report, to examine the progress that has been made on the ground in Portlaoise.

I welcome this HIQA report, which found that significant progress had been made at the hospital in relation to governance, patient safety and quality, and shows how much services have improved for the women using maternity services at the hospital. Portlaoise maternity services are reporting monthly maternity patient safety statements and are participating in national data collections, including the Irish maternity indicator system. This has led to a confirmation by HIQA that the hospital's maternity services are performing in line with nationally reported rates. I would like to acknowledge that we have travelled this far thanks to the bravery of the families who spoke out in the midst of their grief at a very sad time for many of them. The extent of progress in patient safety measures also demonstrates the commitment of the staff and the leadership team at Portlaoise hospital, as well as the team at hospital group level.

There has been considerable investment in Portlaoise in recent years. Hospital funding has increased by 15% since 2012 and staffing levels have risen by 18%. Additional funding is to be provided to facilitate the opening of the new medical assessment unit at Portlaoise in 2017. The HIQA report also identified immediate issues to be addressed in general hospital services. The HSE has been asked to address these immediate issues as a priority, and to ensure that the hospital is appropriately supported in its role by the other hospitals in the hospital group to serve the patients of the midlands. The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group has produced a draft action plan for Portlaoise hospital which takes account of the need to develop services in the context of developing the model of service provision for the entire hospital group. The HSE has now submitted the draft plan to the Department of Health, where it will be reviewed in detail. I reassure the Deputy that the Minister for Health is committed to securing and further developing the role of Portlaoise hospital as a constituent hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

The most important issue in relation to any changes at Portlaoise hospital is that patient safety and outcomes must come first. Any changes to services at Portlaoise, once approved, will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner to further improve services for patients at the hospital and will take account of existing patient flows and demands in other hospitals, as well as the need to develop particular services at Portlaoise in the context of the overall service configuration in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

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