Calls for HSE to investigate maternity services in Portlaoise

The HSE is under pressure to investigate the maternity services at Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise after an incident earlier this week.

On Monday, a pregnant woman who presented at the hospital was wrongly told her baby had been dead for five weeks. Two days later, another scan revealed the baby had a healthy heartbeat.

Aimee Nolan, originally from Dublin but now living in Offaly, said she spent two days grieving for her baby and had told all her family and friends about the loss.

“I was inconsolable,” she said. “I could have easily miscarried my baby after hearing the news.”

The maternity services at the hospital apologised to the woman and acknowledged the distress caused. The HSE has confirmed it is aware of the case and will be reviewing the matter.

The incident is the latest in a series to occur at the hospital. On Tuesday, an inquest into the case of baby Mary Kate Kelly returned a verdict of medical misadventure. It found the baby’s life would have been saved if a doctor at the hospital had acted on the results of a CTG – a scan of the foetal heartbeat.

Instead, the mother was told everything was fine and was discharged. The next day her baby died in the womb.

In February, a report into the deaths of four other babies at the hospital found the maternity services were neither safe nor sustainable.

It also found patients and families were treated in a poor and, at times, appalling manner, with limited respect, kindness, courtesy and consideration.

Roisín Molloy, the mother of baby Mark who died at the hospital in 2012, said recommendations of previous reviews need to be implemented. “The same errors are being made over and over again,” she said.

Since 2006, six babies have died at the hospital.

In May, a senior nurse claimed the hospital had been “essentially abandoned”.

Joe Hoolan, a clinical nurse manager, said key personnel in the health service had paid regular visits over the years and were well aware of the problems there, but that nothing had been done.

Meanwhile, security at the hospital was also called into question in recent months when a drunk man with a dead rabbit was found sleeping in the maternity ward.

The man was discovered by a nurse doing her rounds and was thought to have been there for up to six hours.

Less than an hour after the man was removed, he climbed back onto the premises over a surrounding wall.

After the incident, the HSE carried out a full security audit.

The hospital apologised to patients who were disturbed by the incident.