Neary was ‘low watermark’ in obstetrics

LESSONS of the Neary scandal must be used to drive improvements in clinical services for mothers and babies, the head of the new National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre insisted yesterday.

Prof John Higgins said it might be that Neary represented the “low watermark”, not just in obstetrics, but in the whole hospital system.

“We must use it as an impetus to move forward and improve services,” he said.

“We have fantastic practitioners in this country so let’s get the system right so we can have something that we can be very proud of.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil yesterday that the new National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre would cost €630,000 in a full year.

Based in Cork University Hospital (CUH), the centre is due to open in the autumn. It will monitor all data from Irish maternity units.

The development means that when a mother gives birth, the important interventions, the good outcomes and the complications would be recorded and analysed at the centre.

“Unusual trends will be easily and quickly observed and most importantly acted on,” Ms Harney said.

She said an immediate priority for the centre would be to devise a single identical maternity chart for every maternity hospital in the country.