Portlaoise maternity deaths
Lucinda Creighton raises failures surrounding babies’ deaths at Portlaoise hospital and asks for mandatory reporting to the national perinatal centre. The Chair notes a Topical Issue debate, while the Taoiseach says the health reform Bill is due this session and an independent HIQA inquiry may follow the chief medical officer’s report.
The Taoiseach will be very well aware of a long litany of failures in Portlaoise hospital in respect of babies who died there. A range of issues has been raised that will need to be addressed by legislation and otherwise. I welcome the commitment by the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, to move forward with a HIQA inquiry. One of the issues that has come to light is the fact that the babies' deaths in Portlaoise were not reported to the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre.
Comment on this
That is the centre that provides information to Government, the Minister and the HSE about failures and shortcomings in maternity services.
Comment on this
It is in the context of the health reform Bill. I would like to know whether the Government is prepared now to make it mandatory to report the deaths of all babies so that we can have full information about maternity care in this country.
Comment on this
The health reform Bill is due this session. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, spent six hours in the company of people who lost their babies in Portlaoise hospital. He has made it perfectly clear that following receipt of the chief medical officer’s report, which will be given to him shortly, he will consider the question of a completely independent investigation by HIQA. The Minister, as a family doctor himself, is very much focused on communication, openness and information being made available to people. He has commended the parents in this case on their commitment to finding out what happened. As Deputy Creighton is well aware, we need absolute integrity in terms of the maternity services in the country for mothers and expectant mothers and the Minister is committed to that. He will see to it that the situation is sorted out. It is not acceptable that inferior standards apply in any hospital, especially where the birth of children, their mothers and every patient are concerned. The issue has caused the Minister some distress. He wants to see it sorted out and it will be sorted out.