Funding to recruit an additional 100 nursing/widwifery staff and 10 additional consultant obstetricians to facilitate improvements to maternity services, has been sought by the Health Service Executive (HSE) .

Written answers given by the Department of Health to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in advance of an appearance by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar yesterday said that as part of the budgetary estimates process for 2015, the HSE identified a number of additional resources that were required to directly improve maternity care.

Obstetric posts

According to the Department of Health: “There is a requirement for additional consultant obstetric posts and midwifery staff given the number of vacancies nationally and to facilitate implementation of the new maternity model (when agreed).” This was in response to a question tabled by Senator John Crown.

The configuration of required additional midwife nursing staff would be determined by a maternity workforce study that was currently under way, it said.

“The exact configuration and location of these consultant posts will be determined based on resource allocations for 2015,” it said.

The Department of Health also said the HSE had committed to the establishment of a national maternity office within its acute hospital division to ensure there was a strategic approach to the planning and development of maternity services nationally.

The Department of Health said that, in conjunction with the HSE, it was working on the development of a new maternity strategy.

Taking stock

“Developing the strategy will provide the opportunity to take stock of current services and identify how the quality and safety of care provided to pregnant women and their babies can be improved.

“The Department commissioned a review of national and international literature on maternity services. The review has been completed and is informing the development of a maternity services policy paper.

“On finalisation of the policy paper, it is proposed to establish a high level working group, with appropriate stakeholder representation, with a view to further progressing and finalising the strategy,” the statement said.