Dáil debates

Thursday, 14 January 2021

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Maternity Services

6:20 pm

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Hourigan for raising what the Ceann Comhairle has noted is a valuable topic. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, whose script I have to hand. I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position in relation to neonatology services at the Rotunda Hospital. As the House is aware, the Rotunda is one of the world's oldest maternity hospitals and one of the busiest such hospitals in Ireland. More than 8,000 babies, and one in four of all babies requiring neonatal intensive care in Ireland, are born there annually. Consequently, the Rotunda cares for the most vulnerable and fragile infants at the very extremes of prematurity, as well as sick babies with very complex needs. The challenges faced by the Rotunda to provide such critical services are well documented, and were also well detailed by Deputy Hourigan.

In particular, given the age of the buildings, the infrastructure of the hospital presents significant difficulties in terms of infection prevention control and patient safety. The Deputy is aware that in the medium term, the Rotunda will be co-located with Connolly Hospital. This is in line with Government policy, as articulated in the national maternity strategy. To ensure the provision of optimum and safe services, that policy states that all stand-alone maternity hospitals should be co-located with adult acute hospitals. The relocation of the Rotunda Hospital to the campus of Connolly Hospital is included as a commitment in the programme for Government.

The health and safety of mothers and babies in our care is always of the utmost priority. It is acknowledged that there is a need, in the short term, to address the highest infrastructural risks and capacity issues at the existing hospital on Parnell Square. However, given the plans to redevelop the Rotunda Hospital, we must ensure that any interim development and investment must be limited to the extent necessary to address priority patient safety risks. There has been significant engagement between the Department of Health, the HSE and the management of the Rotunda Hospital in an attempt to clarify the scope and extent of the developments needed at the Rotunda Hospital to resolve patient safety risks arising from infrastructural challenges at the hospital.

In 2020, €4.6 million was provided to the Rotunda Hospital to address capacity and infrastructural needs in the foetal assessment unit, neonatal intensive care unit, emergency theatre and delivery suites. Given the age and condition of the original hospital buildings, however, other issues remain. In that context, the management of the Rotunda Hospital has proposed a new development which will address identified key clinical risks. Additional funding of €100,000 was provided to the Rotunda Hospital in 2020 to prepare a strategic assessment report and preliminary business case in support of the proposed development, as required under the public spending code. I am advised that these reports have now been submitted to the HSE and are under consideration.

I also understand that the HSE intends to allocate additional capital funding of €250,000 to the Rotunda Hospital this year to further assist with the progress of proposals to address areas of critical risk with a particular focus on the neonatal intensive care unit. This investment will help ensure that the hospital is facilitated to make the necessary plans to ensure the babies born in the Rotunda Hospital continue to receive the safest, high-quality specialised care possible in advance of the hospital's move to the campus of Connolly Hospital.

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