Clarity sought on future of maternity care at PUH
Portiuncula Hospital.
The Minister for Health must make a statement on the future of maternity services at Portiuncula University Hospital, local TD Claire Kerrane has said. She said that women need certainty and that the “vacuum” of information “is deeply unhelpful and unfair”.
The local Sinn Féin TD has written to the Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill over the decision to move antenatal care for women with higher-risk pregnancies from the Ballinasloe hospital.
"I wrote to the Minister for Health immediately following a meeting held between elected representatives and Management of HSE West, following the completion of five out of twelve individual reviews of maternity care at Portiuncula,” said Deputy Kerrane.
“At that meeting we were told of plans to widen the definition of ‘high-risk’ and move more expectant mothers out of Portiuncula to other hospitals for their maternity care. This will see between 200-300 less births at Portiuncula a year,” Ms Kerrane said. “I wrote to the minister, who we need to hear from on this, to raise this with her but also to ask her a number of questions. We need to know why some of the issues raised in the 2018 review of maternity care have been raised again. Someone has to answer for this.” The TD said she has asked the minister to instruct the HSE to prepare a roadmap to restore full maternity services at Portiuncula, to give certainty and reassurance of the HSE’s commitment to Portiuncula.
“I have asked for a full review of maternity services under the HSE West & North West to include all maternity care under their management,” Deputy Kerrane said.
“All expectant mothers booked into Portiuncula need conversations, not generic letters and I’ve asked the minister to ensure this happens so women have the opportunity to raise concerns or ask questions.
“I want a full list of all actions taken on the back of the 2018 review for each of the issues raised and I’ve asked that the latest 34 recommendations not just be implemented urgently but that we have oversight into the future to ensure they are sustained.”
