No more baby mix-ups, vows CEO

THERE will be no further mix-ups of new born babies, the chief executive of the country’s largest health board vowed yesterday.

The Southern Health Board chief executive Sean Hurley made the promise yesterday to parents attending all hospitals under his control in response to two mix-ups of newborns in recent months at Cork and Kerry hospitals.

Mr Hurley pledged that new procedures would be put in place by next weekend to ensure there were no further mistakes.

However, while speaking at a health board meeting yesterday, Mr Hurley would not disclose what these new procedures would entail.

The latest baby mix-up happened last Wednesday at Tralee General Hospital when one women was given the baby of the woman in the bed next to her.

However, the Southern Health Board said the mix-up was rectified within 30 seconds and had been due to an unprecedented number of babies born in the hospital at the time.

This was the second apology issued by the SHB in less than two months to parents who had been given the wrong babies by staff. The more serious incident occurred on November 26 last at St Finbarr’s Hospital when two women were given the wrong baby boys for almost an entire day.

The babies were less than 24-hours old when the mix-up occurred and almost a full day had passed before one of the mothers noticed the child’s tag didn’t match hers.

DNA tests were later ordered to make sure of the boy’s identities.

SHB chairman Deputy Batt O’Keeffe described the latest incident as “unfortunate”.

He said he had discussed the situation with the SHB chief executive and added that such incidents were simply “unacceptable”.

Deputy Simon Coveney FG, was critical that new measures hadn’t been put in place following the first mix-up last November.

Mr Hurley said the mistakes were not the fault of midwives but rather the system and protocol. However, he admitted they should never have happened.

He added that is was quite understandable expectant mothers would be concerned.

“I will be insisting that once a staff member takes a baby into their hands they will know what child they have,” Mr Hurley said.

Although he didn’t specify what protocol changes would be made, Mr Hurley said he would ensure they were in place by next weekend.

“The focus in the past has been on security following the abduction (of a baby) at the Erinville two years ago, but now the focus will be on care,” Mr Hurley said.

Security at all maternity units in Cork and Kerry was beefed up after a baby was abducted from the maternity unit. The baby was recovered safe and well a few hours later by gardaí at a hotel in east Cork.