Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the very serious issues arising from an external, independent clinical review of the maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. I attended a briefing last Thursday evening, when the report was published. This has been and continues to be a very difficult time for the 16 families involved.

Many of the challenges highlighted in the report indicate that inadequate levels of staffing impacted on training, staff support available and the escalation of more complex cases. There are almost 150 recommendations in this report. I was informed last Thursday evening that 90% of them are either implemented or in progress. Significant improvements have been made to ensure that we have high-quality maternity services at Portiuncula. One of the most important points made at that meeting was that they are trying to create better working relationships and a better clinical maternity network, particularly with Galway University Hospital. This is very important in terms of escalating more complex cases.

In respect of the difficulties that have arisen in cervical screening, open disclosure is and should be a basic requirement. This report found that disclosure was unsatisfactory in 17 out of the 18 cases. As we discussed last week, withholding information from these families, like other women and individuals whom we may not even know about yet, is completely disgraceful and unacceptable. This must have been very distressing for the families involved. I have spoken with many families across our region who emphasised that there is excellent care provided at Portiuncula maternity unit and that significant progress has been made through the implementation group that has been established. Some 17 additional posts have been put in place across obstetrics, anaesthetics and paediatrics.

It is important that the Minister, Deputy Harris, comes to the Seanad to discuss maternity services in the context of this review and more generally, in order to ensure that we provide the highest possible standards for mothers and babies.