Patients and doctors back damning maternity service claim

Patients and doctors alike have backed claims that some maternity services are a danger to women.

Peter Boylan, National Maternity Hospital Holles St clinical director, and Aims Ireland said the system is failing and reform calls have been ignored.

Dr Boylan said consultant and midwife staff levels fall far below international requirements, while Aims spokeswoman Krysia Lynch said pregnant women face a care “geographic lottery”.

The comments follow the Health Information Quality Authority’s finding that it cannot say the service is safe after Savita Halappanavar’s death.

The group wants an urgent review after just five out of 19 facilities made changes relating to sepsis and pre-labour ruptured membrane management after the “disturbingly” similar death of Tania McCabe in 2007.

Kerry General, Wexford, Waterford, Portiuncula, Portlaoise and South Tipperary did not make changes.

University Hospital Galway made alterations after the 2007 death of Ms McCabe in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital but failed to follow them during Ms Halappanavar’s case.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore have insisted that Hiqa’s standards will be implemented.