‘No maternity hospital has enough midwives’

No maternity hospital or unit in the country has enough midwives for safe baby care, according a survey by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

The union said the survey conducted over a week last month showed that the maternity service needed over 554 midwives to reach the recommended staffing level.

The survey found that internationally recommended midwife-to-birth ratio of 1:29.5 births was not in place in any of the 19 maternity hospitals and units. The ratio varied from 1:32 at Mayo General Hospital’s maternity unit to 1:55 at Portlaoise and a national average of 1:38.

The maternity unit in the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, Co Laois — the subject of a highly critical perinatal report by the Department of Health — was the poorest staffed unit.

According to the report, Portlaoise needs 33 midwives immediately to reach the recommended ratio.

The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in Dublin, now running Portlaoise, is itself understaffed with a midwife to birth ratio of 1:40.

The INMO said this must raise questions over the Coombe’s ability to look after high-risk pregnancies referred from Portlaoise.

It pointed out that the ratio in the North was 1:24.

The INMO said the internationally recommended midwife to birth radio, put forward by Birthrate Plus, was accepted by the NHS in Britain.

INMO general secretary, Liam Doran, said the union wanted to meet with the HSE to discuss the staffing crisis. It had also sought an immediate meeting with the Oireachtas Health Committee.

“Births in this country continue to be at a very high level, relative to the EU, and have increased by over 16% in the last decade while midwifery staffing numbers have been cut.

“It is also a fact that births are becoming increasingly complex which, in turn, puts even greater demands upon midwives and maternity services generally.”

He said midwives continued to stretch themselves to ensure patients’ care regime continued to be met.

The Department of Health said the HSE was about to commence a midwifery workload and workforce review of maternity services in Ireland.

Mr Doran said what was needed now was immediate action on the recruitment of additional midwifery staff.

Mr Doran said the INMO would be publishing a staffing survey on nursing numbers in over 100 wards across the country in two weeks’ time.