Parents again demand Donnelly conduct review into 21 baby deaths

Mel and Lisa Duffy, from Mountrath, Co Laois, outside Portlaoise Coroner's Court after the inquest into the death of their baby son Luke, who died at Portlaoise Hospital in October 29, 2018. The picture they are holding is a framed photo of Baby Luke after he was stillborn. Picture: Neil Michael

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has asked health officials to meet a group of grieving mothers who are campaigning for health service reform as well as a review into 21 hospital baby deaths.

The request follows concerns raised earlier this year by Safer Births Ireland about the deaths of four babies born in Portlaoise Hospital since 2013.

It is also concerned about the deaths of 17 babies in other maternity units.

In a number of the inquests into those 21 deaths, a verdict of medical misadventure was recorded.

Asked by the Irish Examiner if the minister is planning to conduct a look-back review of the deaths, a Department of Health spokesperson said: “It is vital our health services take steps to ensure serious adverse events in maternity care are appropriately reviewed and responded to at a national level.

“The minister has asked the National Patient Safety Office to engage with the National Women and Infants Health Programme to meet [Safer Births Ireland] to discuss their issues. We will work to do this in the coming weeks.”

As well as looking for a look-back review of the 21 deaths, Safer Births Ireland wants to see the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 up and running.

Although enacted in May, the act — which provides a legal framework for mandatory open disclosure by health service providers of a range of serious incidents — has not been fully introduced by the various hospital groups. It also wants to see legislation put in place to hold health service managers accountable for the decisions they make.

During an interview on RTÉ, the health minister was asked about the 21 deaths which were the subject of an 'Irish Examiner' article on Monday.

Pressed on whether or not he will be conducting a look- back review, the minister said: “The advice I have over the 21 baby deaths where there was a coroner’s inquest is that there has been no trend identified in terms of baby heart monitoring.”

However, he said the health service is “looking for extra training for all maternity units” and for “national guidelines to be put in place”.

Safer Births Ireland co-founder Lisa Duffy, whose baby son Luke was stillborn in Portlaoise Hospital on October 29, 2018, welcomed the announcement from the Department of Health.

“This is great news,” she said. “There are at least another 20 families who will be without a loved one this Christmas because they too have suffered a tragedy like our family.

“We know there are similarities in almost all the deaths; there are common themes and if anybody were to just look back over all those cases, they will see them.

“Time and time again, women — who were mostly first-time mothers — were not listened to.

“Time and time again, there was an issue with CTG monitoring along with issues around a lack of communication and the lack of obstetric availability.”