Health Board puts budget before lives, says INO

THE lives of mothers and babies are put at risk every day because one of the country’s busiest regional maternity hospitals doesn’t have enough midwives, nurses warned yesterday.

Three different reports, dating as far back as August 2001, have highlighted the "unsafe" conditions for mothers and babies at Wexford General Hospital, particularly at night when staffing levels are lowest. The situation is particularly acute given the region's 30% increase in births in the last two years.

But the South Eastern Health Board seems to be more intent on commissioning expensive reports, rather than employing the 10 extra midwives and 12 care assistants the hospital urgently needs, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said yesterday.