‘Maternity services are geographic lottery’

The lives of pregnant women and unborn babies are being gambled with due to a “geographic lottery” when it comes to standards in the country’s maternity services.

Leading patient group, the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) Ireland, made the claim after fresh revelations emerged over the quality of care at Portlaoise hospital.

On Thursday night RTÉ’s Prime Time revealed that a fifth maternity services incident, which led to a pregnancy not going full- term, occurred at the facility last year.