No reduction expected in Portlaoise hospital services

There are no plans to rationalise services at Portlaoise hospital despite the problems identified in its maternity and emergency departments, according to the head of the hospital group in which it is located.

Services in the hospital are safe and work is continuing to consolidate improvements already made, says Dr Susan O’Reilly, chief executive of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

“We’re in a ‘steady as she goes’ mode. All those services that are currently there – maternity, paediatrics, general medicine, general surgery and the emergency department – will continue.”

Subject of controversy

Portlaoise has been the subject of controversy since it emerged last year that five babies died after being delivered in the hospital.

A subsequent Department of Health report found the maternity unit was unsafe, and a forthcoming Hiqa investigation is expected to be critical of standards in the hospital and oversight by the HSE.

Dr O’Reilly, who took up office last November, after the controversy, acknowledged there had been “tragic events” in Portlaoise in recent years, and said some of these were “potentially preventable”. In addition, some families “felt they hadn’t been treated as openly or supportively as they wanted”.

But she said she was now “very comfortable” with the standard of maternity services as a result of changes made since last year’s baby deaths controversy.

“Over time, will anything change? I think we will be looking at safety, sustainability and optimally supportive links across hospitals in the groups. Over the next few years, we’ll be reviewing services and rolling out a strategic plan. But as of this moment, I anticipate all five of these services going on.”

Further staff will be appointed to ensure services are sustainable, in addition to measures already implemented last year, she said. This includes the appointment of one additional obstetrician and two neo-natologists, along with ancillary staff in the areas of data processing and quality assurance.

Under the memorandum of understanding between the Coombe Women’s Hospital in Dublin and Portlaoise, a number of joint appointments across the two sites will be made. New staff will belong to the Coombe but will be provided with customised contracts reflecting their place of work.

Inter-dependent

Dr O’Reilly, the former head of the National Cancer Control Programme, said the five areas of service in Portlaoise were inter-dependent so that if one were removed the others could be threatened.

The challenge was to recruit and retain suitably qualified doctors to work in the hospital.

There were no plans to set up a local injuries unit “at this juncture” but such an option could be considered if concerns arose about safety.