464. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if there are proposals to take private maternity care away as an option for women with high risk pregnancies; and the alternatives that will be put in place to give women the option of choosing private maternity care on health grounds such as high risk pregnancies. [75203/26]

As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Only Consultant Contract was introduced in March 2023 as a key step towards a universal, single-tier health service in which access to care is based on clinical need rather than ability to pay.

The POCC is applicable to all specialities, not just to maternity care. The transition to POCC will take place progressively as consultants are recruited to, or move to, the new contract. Consultants choosing that contract cannot continue to provide private practice in public hospitals after 31 December 2025. Consultants who remain on earlier contracts may continue to provide private care in public hospitals in accordance with their contractual arrangements. Accordingly, the change does not involve an immediate cessation of private maternity care. Private maternity care in public hospitals will therefore reduce gradually over time.

I recognise that this change may cause concern for some private patients. However, this reform supports equitable access to care based on clinical need.

Maternity care in Ireland is provided in line with the National Maternity Strategy (NMS).

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.

The model of care provides appropriate pathways to ensure that mothers, babies, and families get the personalised care that they need.

Women with complex pregnancies will continue to receive appropriate consultant-led care. Care for women with high-risk pregnancies is led by a named consultant within the multidisciplinary team.

For some of the more complex pregnancies, additional medical specialties may also be required, including endocrinology, cardiology, and neurology. A woman may move in and out of the care pathways during her pregnancy, with the focus always on the quality and safety of the mother and her baby.

Women are supported through each pathway according to their individual clinical needs. Patient safety remains our overriding priority across all three pathways.

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 in 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 Government’s priority remains the delivery of safe, evidence-based and compassionate maternity care for all women. 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.