Politicians ignored problems in maternity sector for years, TDs told

Politicians abandoned staff working in maternity units and ignored problems in the sector for years, the Oireachtas health committee has been told.

Former master of the Coombe women's hospital Dr Chris Fitzpatrick said critical strategic decisions made at the highest levels of political authority about funding have had a significant impact on clinical outcomes. Hospitals were often "run into the ground in terms of chronic under-investment over many years".

Dr Fitzpatrick asked why a service designed to look after “our most precious and vulnerable resource - mothers and babies - never became a political priority until a series of adverse clinical outcomes hit the headlines in the recent past”.

During the boom, there was little if any investment in the maternity services and when the bust happened, they were subjected to systematic cutbacks at a time when they were busier than ever, he said.

Staff were abandoned by the political system over successive administrations. “The warning signs were there for a long time and were raised by many within the system. Unfortunately they were, in the main, ignored or became the subject of reviews and reports - often costing considerable amounts of money and often not implemented in any meaningful sense.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said in 2011, as master of the Coombe, he chaired a team of doctors and managers that highlighted significant clinical risks in Portlaoise hospital and other units. A strategy was drawn up to deal with these issues but “there was no response”.

Many of the risks highlighted in the submission are still present throughout the country, he said.

Mr Fitzpatrick called on Minister for Health Leo Varadkar to establish a national women's and infants' programme to drive change in the maternity service and restore confidence in the service. "Otherwise, there will be more critical incidents, more traumatised mothers, fathers, babies and families and ever fewer school-leavers and graduates choosing to become midwives or obstetricians in this country."

Prof John Crown said there were no excellent obstetric centres in Ireland. Staff were well trained and worked heroically but modern facilities were often lacking.