Serious safety concerns in maternity wards

STAFF shortages combined with an increase in births and poor infrastructure has led to “serious concerns” for the safety of mothers and babies in three of the country’s maternity hospitals.

The Coombe, Holles Street and the Rotunda hospitals in Dublin have sent an “emergency submission” to the Health Service Executive (HSE) outlining problems they believe are compromising patient safety.

Details of the letter are revealed as the country’s largest maternity hospital, the Coombe, published its annual report for 2006, showing that surgeons are being forced to carry out emergency operations two at a time because of staff shortages.