Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 657 of 4 March 2025, if she will provide further details regarding the actions which have not yet been fully implemented in respect of recommendation 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 of the National Maternity Strategy; the status of work to progress the remaining actions under these recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14317/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Recommendation 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 of the National Maternity Strategy relate to the delivery of care through the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme.

These recommendations are as follows:

62. The HSE will ensure that women continue to have the option to receive their antenatal care as part of a shared model of care with the GP under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme, and will be encouraged to avail of this scheme.

63. The HSE will ensure that a review of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme is undertaken, and any necessary adaptations made, to reflect the new Model of Care proposed in the National Maternity Strategy.

64. The HSE will ensure that any review of the Maternity and Infant Care scheme considers the feasibility of extending coverage to include a preconception consultation and postnatal check at three to four months and/or additional postnatal GP visits where further pregnancy related needs have been identified.

65. The HSE will ensure that the reimbursement of GPs under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme is centralised in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service in line with other fee payments under the funded health sector contracted schemes.

66. The HSE will ensure that a detailed national standardised dataset is introduced, to support the effective monitoring and evaluation of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme.

A review of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme has been initiated within the HSE, and hence work is currently underway to progress the outstanding actions of these recommendations.