Séamus McGrath urges protection of Cork Domino midwifery service
Séamus McGrath raised concerns in the Dáil about staffing changes affecting the Domino midwifery service at Cork University Maternity Hospital. He urged the Taoiseach to protect normal service levels, after the HSE confirmed staffing arrangements would change from 12 October while the service remained operational.
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Transcript
Go raibh maith agat. Taoiseach, I would like to highlight today the concerns being raised
about the curtailment of the Domino midwifery service at Cork University Maternity Hospital.
As you know, the Domino service is a midwife-led, community-based maternity care with a continuity
of care from pregnancy through to birth and post-natal, providing care in the community
and in the home. It has emerged in recent days that due to staff shortages at CUMH itself,
that there is likely to be redeployment of nurses and midwives from the Domino service
to the labour ward. The INMO has said that up to 80 nursing and midwifery posts are vacant
at CUMH due to recruitment pause imposed during the summer. The Domino maternity care service
provides care for up to 400 women annually, providing critical options for them in terms
of their maternity care. I would strongly urge here today Taoiseach, that any potential
curtailment of this service be reversed and that normal levels of service be protected
and provided into the future and I would ask you to please take this issue up with the Minister
of Health and the Department. Thank you very much.
My understanding is that the Domino scheme at Cork University Maternity Hospital remains
operational and available both to women currently using the service and to new patients who
meet the eligibility criteria. Care is delivered through three pathways, the supported care
pathway, the assisted care pathway and the specialised care pathway for high-risk pregnancies
led by a named consultant obstetrician. And so, to cut to the chase, the HSE has advised
that from the 12th of October, changes to staffing arrangements within the service will
come into effect. However, the service will continue to operate, women will continue to
be able to access the scheme and patient safety remaining the overriding priority in the
implementation of these arrangements. And antenatal care will continue to be delivered
through the Domino pathway, supported by midwives in the outpatient department
and antenatal education support will be available through the parent craft education programme.
The HSE has confirmed that where operationally feasible, Domino services will continue to
present in labour at the birthing suite in CUMH.