3457. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Health to outline the future model of consultant-led maternity care envisaged under Sláintecare; the way in which continuity of care for expectant mothers will be supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56434/26]

The Government remains committed to ensuring that every woman has access to safe, high-quality, person-centred maternity services. This commitment is reflected in the National Maternity Strategy and the significant investment made in maternity and neonatal services in recent years, including expanded staffing, enhanced infrastructure and the implementation of specialist models of care across the country.

The Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC) was introduced on the 8th of March 2023. This contract is a key step in the move towards universal, single-tier healthcare with public hospitals exclusively used for the treatment of public patients, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report. All consultants who switch to a POCC, regardless of specialty, are not permitted to conduct private practice in public hospitals beyond the conclusion of transitional arrangements stated within the terms of their contract.

The transition applies to all private care, including maternity. The availability of private consultant care in public hospitals will reduce over time, however, private maternity care is and will remain available in public hospitals beyond 31st of December 2025 via consultants who continue to work on older contracts. There is no requirement for these consultants to switch to a POCC and their contractual arrangements provide for private practice in public hospitals up to retirement. The last of these contracts were issued prior to March 2023.

The aim of the Sláintecare reform is to build a health service that provides timely access to high-quality healthcare based on clinical need rather than ability to pay. This principle applies across the health service, including maternity services. Public hospitals are predominately funded by the taxpayer, and that funding must deliver the same high standard of care to every patient.

The Government remains committed to delivering maternity services that are safe, equitable, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of women and their families. As reforms continue, careful consideration will continue to be given to ensuring that women requiring specialist or consultant-led care receive appropriate access to those services based on their clinical needs.

Continuity of care and patient confidence are recognised and will continue to inform ongoing policy development. The Government remains committed to investing in maternity services and strengthening consultant-led and multidisciplinary models of care so that all women receive the highest possible standard of care.

Maternity care in Ireland is provided in line with the National Maternity Strategy (NMS). The Strategy sets out how to provide women-centred care, so that every woman can expect the same quality of care regardless of her location or her ability to pay, and to ensure women have choice regarding the pathway to the birth of their baby, within the context of their clinical presentation.

The National Maternity Strategy sets out a Model of Care for maternity services, with three care pathways tailored to the clinical needs and risk profile of each woman and her baby:

- The Supported Care Pathway is midwife-delivered and available to women with a normal risk profile.

- The Assisted Care Pathway is shared care between medical and midwifery staff and is for women with an elevated risk profile.

- The Specialised Care Pathway is a consultant-led service for women deemed to be high risk at booking.

Through the National Maternity Strategy, we have significantly expanded midwife-led care for women with normal-risk pregnancies via the Supported Care Pathway through the funding of more than 390 additional nurses and midwives.

This pathway is available in all 19 maternity units and offers a community-focused model of care, enabling women with uncomplicated pregnancies to access birth options across hospitals in alongside birth units/home from home rooms, community, or home settings.

Under the specialised care pathways all mothers identified as high risk pregnancies are led by a named consultant within a multi-disciplinary team of midwives and other specialists.

The Government’s priority remains the delivery of safe, evidence-based and compassionate maternity care. This includes strengthening continuity of care, expanding consultant-led services for women with complex pregnancies, increasing workforce capacity and ensuring that women remain at the centre of policy decisions.

We will continue to listen to women and drive improvements across maternity services, building on the significant progress and investment to date driven through the National Maternity Strategy. This includes delivering a successor to the Strategy, as outlined in the Programme for Government.