Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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9. To ask the Minister for Health if a new dedicated obstetrics theatre will be provided at Kerry General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35551/15]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Currently there is no dedicated obstetrics theatre at Kerry General Hospital and mothers who need surgery while in labour must use the regular theatres. If a theatre is not available, they must wait, which is a particular difficulty in emergency cases, for example, where a caesarean section is required immediately. In that scenario, where a baby may be in distress, those involved simply cannot afford to wait. There is a continued risk of catastrophic brain injuries and other related complications as a result of not having the dedicated theatre. I acknowledge the Minister visited the hospital earlier this year, at my request. I would like to have an update on the request for this very much needed infrastructure for the hospital.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Much is being done to improve maternity services further across the country. Additional funding of €2 million, provided in 2015, is being used to fill front-line posts. In 2016, the HSE will again focus on maternity service improvements and implement managed clinical maternity networks across all hospital groups. The establishment of such networks will ensure that smaller maternity units, like Kerry, will be supported to provide high quality, safe services. An example of this initiative which was recently established is the memorandum of understanding agreed between the Coombe Hospital and the HSE to establish a managed maternity network within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. This will provide a single maternity service operating over two sites, led by the Coombe. This arrangement will serve as a model for other hospital groups.

We now have more midwives employed than ever before in the State, 1,438, which is an increase of 228 since 2011. Similarly, there has been an increase of five consultant gynaecologist and obstetricians, which represents an increase of 10.94 whole-time equivalents.

The HSE is also establishing a national women and infants health programme, modelled on the successful national cancer control programme. The programme will span obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatal services across community, primary and secondary care. This represents a fundamental reorganisation of maternity service governance structures and will, I hope, ensure the delivery of safe, high quality and sustainable maternity services. A recruitment campaign for the programme’s management team, comprising a programme manager, a clinical director and a director of midwifery has commenced.

In addition, my Department is currently developing the country's first national maternity strategy. This will provide a policy framework for the women and infants programme and strategic direction for the optimal development of maternity services to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. I have identified the publication of the strategy as a priority for this year.

Additional funding is being made available for the further development of maternity services in 2016. The use of this funding to develop the quality and safety of maternity services further will be finalised in the coming weeks in the context of the HSE's national service plan for 2016. I am aware that staffing requirements for a dedicated obstetric theatre have been identified by Kerry General Hospital and this will be considered by the HSE in finalising priorities for the 2016 service plan.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome that the requirements of the hospital are being considered. I urge the Minister to use any influence he has to prioritise this matter, which is one of huge importance to County Kerry and all of the women who are using the maternity services and their families. I have an interest in this as someone who has been in the maternity ward of Kerry General Hospital twice in the last two and a half years. I highly commend the efforts of the very dedicated staff and the brilliant work they do. However, they need support and need the Government and the HSE to help ensure there are no other very sad cases as, unfortunately, have occurred in the past. We need to do everything we possibly can to ensure this does not happen.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the many developments that have occurred at the hospital under the current Government in recent years, such as the new endoscopy unit, the new cardiology unit, the new medical assessment unit, the four-bed, high observation unit, of which the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, will be aware-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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A new CT scanner worth €700,000 is currently being installed. The Friends of Kerry General Hospital recently bought a bone density scanner and enabling works are ongoing currently to install that. Works have also commenced on the new diabetes day-care centre.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy. This is Question Time. The Minister wants to reply.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge this. We need to keep developing the hospital and the obstetrics theatre would be very welcome.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Deputy Griffin's comments. I had the opportunity to visit Kerry General Hospital with him and the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, some months ago, and I was very impressed by the performance of the hospital. It has its problems, like every other hospital, but it is going well in so many ways. It was very good to meet the staff there and see the important work they are doing.

The requirement to have a second on-call theatre team would require ten additional nurses and four additional doctors. Of course, even if that can be funded, there can often be difficulties recruiting them. However, it is certainly under consideration in the context of the service plan.