Portiuncula maternity review due in summer

The review of the maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, Co Laois, will start in the coming weeks and is expected to take up to five months.

The terms of reference were announced yesterday with the independent review team to be chaired by Professor James Walker, professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Leeds.

The full review follows a preliminary review into the care of seven women who had adverse perinatal events between February and November 2014, and which was undertaken last December, with the results reported on January 19 last.

The fresh review will also look into a number of adverse perinatal events between 2008 and November 2014. The probe comes after two babies died in the period covered by the previous review and after concerns were voiced about infants suffering a lack of oxygen in the maternity unit.

The new review is being commissioned by the chief clinical director, Saolta University Health Care Group and the final report will be provided to the group CEO and board of Saolta University Health Care Group, as well as the HSE’s national director for acute hospitals.

According to a statement released yesterday outlining the terms and conditions of the review, the Saolta University Health Care Group said it would include detailed reviews of the care of those cases identified in the preliminary review and those additional cases that have been identified since.

The team will also meet families who have expressed concerns about their care.