The ongoing reviews into the provision of care at the Portiuncula University Hospital ordered last month will not be published in full, but instead will be given to the families involved, the HSE Regional Health Forum was told on Tuesday.
External reviews are currently underway into the delivery of nine babies in PUH. Since 2024, seven babies had hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE ), resulting in six of those babies being referred for neonatal hypothermic treatment, also referred to as neonatal cooling. In 2023, two stillbirths occurred at the hospital and the care provided in relation to these two deliveries is also currently being reviewed externally.
Cllr Evelyn Parsons asked the forum that in the interests of ensuring the highest standards of care for mothers and babies, with full transparency for public scrutiny and fairness, if the HSE would commit to publishing a public report promptly on the findings of ongoing reviews at the PUH Maternity Unit to include a compliance review of implementation of 2018 Walker Report Recommendations detailing an up to date assessment of current resource provision from governing structures to the unit leading from that report.
However, in response, Anne Cosgrave, Integrated Health Area Manager for Galway and Roscommon, said that the ongoing reviews at the PUH Maternity Unit are specific to the care delivered to individual women and their infants. “As such, the HSE will be unable to publish those reports in full as the contents of each report will be specific to the women and baby involved and retaining their anonymity is paramount.
“Specific elements of the reports and recommendations may be published with the prior consent of the women. The external management team placed in PUH will be working closely with the Maternity services team and overseeing the implementation of any recommendations made in the reviews that are currently in progress, as well as addressing other aspects of the service including governance, workforce, access and training and education needs. “
In response, Cllr Parsons said that they want to ensure the highest standard of care in maternity services.
“There is an opportunity to see what supports are being given to PUH to ensure that the highest stangards of care will be maintained. It is important that the HSE publishes a comprehensive report on the findings as they are important for transparency and public confidence.
Ms Cosgrave said that two reviews are near completion and will be complete inside the next month; and five more thereafter. Two have just started and will take longer,” she said.
“We won’t be publishing the individual reports as they are specific to individuals, but if there are recommendations or findings from those, we will be able to issue those with the prior consent of the women involved.”Some of the reviews will be completed and shared in the first instance with the families concerned. The families will have an interactive role with the review team; to give input and see draft outputs before they are finalised,” she concluded.
