Over 2,330 medical negligence claims against maternity units in past five years

The latest figures from the Department of Health reveal that 886 medical negligence claims against maternity units are considered active, meaning families are awaiting a resolution.

Over 2,330 claims for medical negligence have been made against maternity units in the last five years, but under a third of the cases have been finalised.

The latest figures from the Department of Health reveal that 886 claims are considered active, meaning families are awaiting a resolution.

The South/SouthWest Hospital Group, covering maternity units in Cork, Kerry, Waterford, and Tipperary, has faced 364 cases of medical negligence in the five years to March 2023.

So far, just 118 have been finalised.

The UL Hospital Group, which includes University Maternity Hospital Limerick, received 147 claims, but only 34 cases are complete.

The RCSI Hospital Group, covering the Rotunda in Dublin and units in Drogheda and Cavan/Monaghan, has faced the most claims, at 567, with 139 finalised.

The department did not release hospital figures, saying this “would effectively provide a league table of hospitals”.

It added that this “could cause the public to draw false and unwarranted assumptions” as hospitals cannot be directly compared.

The data was released following a parliamentary query from Fine Gael TD Colm Burke, who said the figures reinforce the need for safe staffing levels.

“We need to be more conscious of the fact there cannot be any reduction in staff, and we should make sure we continue to try and employ additional staff and they have the necessary support to help keep claims at a minimum,” said Mr Burke.

He referred to England as a “clear warning”, as it emerged recently that the costs of maternity claims are over twice the annual budget for maternity services.

Maternity group Aims Ireland spokeswoman Krysia Lynch said: “Litigation seems to be a really huge driver for action and for choice of procedure. 

We are supposed to have a maternity service that is woman-centred, but, actually, we have a service that is litigation-centred.”

She called for pledges around open disclosure to be implemented.

A UL Hospital Group spokesman said safety is a “key component” of care.

“However, there are times when things go wrong, and, in line with the Incident Management Framework of 2020, we actively encourage that such incidents are identified, reported, and reviewed,” he said.

The State Claims Agency, which manages claims, has highlighted “the very high level of settlements in the resolution of infant cerebral palsy and other catastrophic injury claims”.

A spokesman said the agency is part of a departmental working group examining rising costs of clinical negligence claims.