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Updated 7.36pm
PORTIUNACULA HOSPITAL IN Ballinasloe has this evening released details of a helpline that service users who have concerns has use.
It comes after a review of the care of seven infants who were born between February and November last year found that two of them died and five had evidence of oxygen deprivation during delivery.
“Apparent deficiencies in intra-partum care were identified which included interpretation and review of CTG tracings; administration of drugs to accelerate labour; and instrumental delivery,” the hospital said last night.
The contact number for the helpline is 090 9624 620 and is available from 9am to 5pm for the next three days. Details from each call will be documented and a voicemail process is in operation for callers to leave their details during times no one is available to answer.
If requested or considered necessary, a clinician will review medical notes and return a call to patients. In a statement this evening, the hospital said it is satisfied there is no continuing patient safety concern.
Families
An independent team is to carry out an investigation into the maternity unit.
Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe-Saolta University Health Care Group has said it “regrets any distress this process may cause to the families involved and to other service users and in particular wishes to sympathise with the families of the two babies who died”.
The seven families involved are being contacted by the hospital and appointments will be made for consultations with medical staff and support services.
There have been no negative perinatal outcomes at the hospital since enhanced monitoring measure were put in place as part of this review, the hospital said. Additional training has been provided to all maternity staff and additional senior supervision is being provided to both medical and midwifery staff.
Review
Findings of the independent review, expected within three months, will be made available to the HSE and Minister for Health.
Denis Naughten TD said he was disappointed that it seems that the parents of the babies involved only found out about the inquiry through the media and not from the management of the hospital group.
He said that it was important that the investigation be independent and added it is imperative that it is also transparent.
The investigation must be solely focus on what happened, he said, so that it can reduce the possibility of such serious incidents happening again.
Safe
Health Minister Leo Varadkar said that even though the circumstances are not known, the country could not be complacent.
“My first concern is for the seven families, particularly the two who died. We can’t say at this stage if there was medical negligence, but we cannot be complacent.
Saying that there will be private meetings with all families, Varadkar added that Irish hospitals are safe.
“Maternity services in Ireland are safe. I say that for two reasons. One, because it is true and two, there are 60,000 pregnant women in Ireland and they all have families.”
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Why is there need for extra training? Surely anyone without sufficient training should be no where near a hospital.
Where is The Labour party now on this tragedy .. Seems that there only interested in tragedies in our hospitals that are of the repeal the 8th nature
Extra training as you cannot fire a civil servant so you need to try to be seen doing something. Very tragic story. Hopefully sorted alreafy by the time of this
Are the Gardai investigating this
Spot on Linda. Labour Party only “get concerned” about issues which suit their agenda, and recklessly ignore those that don’t. Good thing they’re almost extinct.
Nurses aren’t Civil Servants Darren
Training in frontline health services is ongoing and doesn’t end on qualification
The problem is that there are sometimes insufficient staff, and I know from experience, that training, be it mandatory or otherwise , is first to go !
Training should be continuous – advancements, new learning etc. This should be built into schedules regularly for staff.
I have to say that two of my children were born in Portiuncla – and no finer midwives and doctors have I met – and yes I know how to read their machines .
I have never heard of “Saolta ” though when my children were being born there !
My heart goes out to the families involved – If Portiuncla maternity is under question then our health Service is finished without a major overhaul !
100% agree Dermot, 2 of mine also born there. The last one a year and a half ago, the staff were brilliant, working under severe pressure. A couple of staff told us nobody gets replaced when they leave, I hope they don’t pull another Roscommon and claim its unsafe and close it down, as far as I can see its funding snd staffing that needs investigation. While we were there a ward assistant probably in her 50`s was sent to monitor a suicidal patient in a&e because there wasn’t enough security to watch him, he promptly bolted first time the door was opened. Its a top class maternity service and should be maintained as such, not understaffed and underfunded in usual HSE style.
Bet they will shut it down. They have wanted to close the maternity unit for a long time now and make people go to uchg instead.
It’s th4e closest hospital to Roscommon – you can’t close down Ballinasloe …
It just goes to show how red rotten the Lenihans really were – Couldn’t get a proper Hospital built in Athlone to serve the whole Midlands – I wonder what they were concentrating on instead ….
* typo – apologies – *should read – “red rotten useless …”
I’d almost guarantee it’ll be closed down and the wheels are most likely already in motion to do so. I chose to have my baby there in August instead of Galway and when I asked my GP to change hodpital for me he said “you’d be lucky” when I got the appointment was surprised they were still taking new maternity patients as it was meant to be closing down. A nurse I know working in Galway said the same.
So that’s why they changed Ballinasloe into the Roscommon electoral area – They must have this planned for some time .
Fine Gael T.D.s will be as rare in Connaught after the next election as Fianna fail ones are in Dublin after the last one !
This closure effects a lot more than just Roscommon electoral area …
Close the comments section– this is probably one of the most sensitive issues ever– The Journal. Should lead the way
How is not allowing people to voice an opinion in this ‘leading the way’.
OMG trigger warning!
Informed opinion is good. Uninformed opinion can be very dangerous and cause deep anxiety to Mums to be facing giving birth in Portiuncula.
Hard to believe that during the period mentioned, Portiuncula was voted 2nd best hospital in which to give birth, Mount Carmel(closed now) was voted number 1.
This comment is misleading! Mount Carmel was closed due to financial issues related to development loans. Their peri- and post-natal care were (obviously) 2nd to none! It’s unfortunate that the hospital was forced to close.
The tow leading maternity hospitals in the country and they being shut .
Children’s referendum ?
It is an unfortunate fact of medical care that probably every health care worker has one or more mistakes in his/her past that informs how they do their job today to the highest standard. If you judged them as unfit because of it, then hospitals would be empty of staff.
I can well remember our family’s dealings with SCUBU, and the staff there have my full confidence. And my full gratitude.
My niece and nephew were born in this hospital their mum has nothing but praise for the staff and care there. She also felt she had more attention and the nurses were much more focused then in the big Galway hospital this is a scary statistic but I hope they are not promoting fear looking for an excuse to close yet another hospital which is vital to people living in rural Galway and Clare
And you can add Roscommon, West Westmeath (particularly Athlone area) west Offaly and North Tipperary. This hospital and the maternity section serves a large of the Irish Midlands and sadly since it was handed over by the Franciscan Nuns to the state/HSE it is underfunded, under resourced and now rumoured to be under threat of a removal of services.
Roscommon and Westmeath and Offally as well !
“large area”
I too had 3 children born there and could not fault them. My first was born in the UK and far less pleasant though all were born healthy. 5 babies were deprived of oxygen and 2 died, they are sensationalist stats, where is the rest of the info and if unknown this information should not have been published until known. When my babies were born there were a wide variety of circumstances, firstly they were all born in daytime so more people around. One child had 3 midwives at one point as they were very quiet and they helped each other out. Another had a midwife, trainee midwife, a consultant and 3 trainee consultants or junior doctors or something. They were being trained and we were asked if we minded, who would turn down that type of expertise in the room.
My babies were also lucky to be from a good home, no drink or smokes during pregnancy and weighed from 8lb to 10lb 3oz so maybe more robust. Some of the other babies are it as lucky, one expectant mother we spoke to (while standing at front door smoking) was short on fluid in the womb.
If there is an issue with the hospital then it must be investigated thoroughly with all pertinent facts and rectified immediately. Stories like this just worry expectant mums and cast doubt on the excellent work being done for no good reason which is stupid.
If you are going to have a baby in Portiuncla then good luck and don’t worry you are in great hands.
Guaranteed to close. Had my baby daughter born there last year. Service was excellent. Chatting the midwives and they feared the worst back then. Several top consultants have all taken retirement or moved elsewhere so it’s felt its only a matter of time before they pull the plug. Real pity because it’s so badly needed in the area.
I had a baby in Portiuncula last November, myself & my baby were very well cared for, all nurses & doctors were lovely. So so sad to hear about the two babies that died :( hope their families find the strength some how. Can’t imagine the pain they’re going through.
I have had 1 baby here and really looking forward to delivery of our 2nd here in the coming weeks.the staff are human and know exactly what they are doing,so professional,highly skilled and helpful. Not like other maternity hospitals where you are a number not a person. Portiuncula has nothing to hide that’s why these figures have been produced.if the same full investigation was carried out on the other maternity hospitals that’s where I would be sure we would be shocked.
My sympathies go out to the families of these children but unfortunately we can’t control nature,no matter what is being done you still carry risks and sometimes nature wins.
My heart goes out to the seven families who will be contacted as a result of this discovery. It will not doubt be exacerbate and prolong their suffering…
My wife and I experienced some strange situations in a hostpital the west of Ireland when she was expecting. We lost count of the misunderstandings and miscommunications that went on between the irish staff and foreign staff. Simply down to the fact that their english skills were poor.
Extra training. The question should have why CPD was not already in place?
More scandals less accountability. We will never learn if know one is made accountable. Sure some face will be on TV from the HSE promising reform and half hearted appolegies without admitting liability. You never hear of a consultants family dying on the operating therere or waiting for a bed……
“Welcome to the hospital hotline. If you had a problem birth press 1.”
Ineptitude follows ineptitude.
Oil be back
All Hospitals have been starved of Staff and resources for too long Staff are overworked and some do not even have time to take their breaks for lunch or even a cup of tea That said there is also the problem of over crowding and then you have the case where this Government have mentioned that they are closing or down grading Donegal,Sligo,BALLINSLOE, and Mayo Maternity hospitals and transferring Maternity services to Galway City so I would question What the Hell Is going on With all our Hospitals Bad Mouth Them and give them bad reports undermine the staff and that gives the Dept the publics vote to close them down It is how Kenny’s Government has been playing since the took office with their lies and false promises back at the General election in 2011
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