Galway councillors call for HSE accountability over relocation of high-risk pregnancies from Portiuncula University Hospital
Elected members of Galway County Council unanimously decided to call for a fully independent, external review considering the recent Portiuncula Maternity Unit reviews.
County councillors will ask the HSE and the health minister how Portiuncula University Hospital compares to other maternity units across the country and call for accountability of the potential service relocation to high-risk pregnancies.
The hospital is uniquely located to be the closest service for multiple counties. It sits 800m off the M6, which is why potentially diverting 200 to 300 high-risk pregnancy patients to other hospitals is a foremost issue.
Councillor Alan Harney says he is concerned by the statements of the HSE following the completion of five out of 12 external reviews done on maternity patients. The outcome of the reviews thus far resulted in 34 recommendations, much of which were represented in a similar review completed in 2018.
He says that some of the recommendations can be “easily overcome with proper planning” responding to the report that claims “poor and inadequate” phone coverage and theatre monitoring upgrades as part of the necessary improvements.
“These issues have arisen before, but they haven’t been looked at from a wider lens to look at how maternity services are across the country, which will set PUH in a contextual service.” He said.
Cllr Evelyn Parsons appealed to the elected members saying this “intergenerational maternity unit” reflects significantly “devastating gaps in local and regional healthcare”.
Many of the elected members who spoke on this have personal ties and experiences in the maternity unit of the hospital.
“The positive thing to do is to put the money into the hospital and not let it die out. We want our hospital, we want it saved, and we want the services,” said Cllr Declan Geraghty.
Councillors worry that sending ‘high-risk’ patients, which Cllr. Geraldine Donohue argues all pregnancies should be considered in this light, will lead to the diminishing of maternity services altogether at the hospital.
Presently, five reviews are published and the remaining seven are due to commence.