Calls for review into still births at yet another Saolta Hospital

The importance for the need of an independent external review cannot be understated if transparency and trust are to be restored in the maternity services provided within the Saolta group. This is indeed a worrying time for expectant mothers and those families impacted by the still births deserve for the HSE to be forthcoming and open regarding the circumstances surrounding the births. Health service providers are required under The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 to provide mandatory open disclosure of certain notifiable incidents which include an unanticipated still born child or perinatal death.

From our experience in dealing with maternity cases and from information provided by  both internal and external sources within the hospital, it appears that the following are contributing factors to poor maternal care:

• Lack of adequate training for new nurses from other jurisdictions
• Failure of new nurses to pass assessments with no pressure to pass them
• No time being allocated to upskill with nurses having to do so in their own time
• Lack of beds, meaning woman within a certain radius are being told to stay at home until contractions are well underway
• Increase in emergency c-sections as a result of inefficient decision making.

There are, of course, many other contributing factors but only until the HSE is proactive in obtaining independent external reviews from health care providers outside of the jurisdiction can they restore the confidence of the general public. They must demonstrate a complete willingness to openly and honestly learn from their mistakes and to provide necessary training to ensure these serious incidents do not occur in future. Information surrounding the still births ought to be released as a matter of urgency to avoid unnecessary stress and concern to expectant mothers.

If you have any concerns about your child’s birth you can speak to Treasa Norrby or one of our medical negligence solicitors on 096 71618 or by email to info@callantansey.ie to schedule a consultation.

Our David O’Malley was also on the Tommy Marren show at 10.15am on 20 February on Midwest Radio discussing the Inquiry into Still Births at Mayo University Hospital. The need for an Independent Review is imminent. Listen Back below.