Fears grow for future of Portiuncula maternity services
The three main unions at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe made impassioned pleas for maternity services to be retained at the hospital during a meeting with senior HSE management this week.
Tuesday afternoon’s meeting came in the wake of strong rumours that the unit might be downgraded or even closed following a Maternity Service Review by the West / North West Hospitals Group within the past month.
Of six possible “reconfiguration scenarios” for the five maternity units in the region, only one involved leaving the units at Galway (UHG), Mayo, Sligo, Letterkenny and Portiuncula in place under the current model.
Speculation regarding the review has led to uproar in the East Galway region and caused considerable distress to expectant mothers who are attending the Ballinasloe facility, where 2,052 births were recorded last year.
The proximity of Portiuncula to UHG led to fears that the Ballinasloe facility could be downgraded to a Midwife Led Unit, without full Obstetrics services, or even closed with UHG becoming a “main hub” with a reduced number of “satellite” units.
Any possible threat to the Ballinasloe unit was ironed out between Tony Canavan, the Chief Operating Officer of the West/North West Hospitals Group during a meeting with representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), SIPTU, and IMPACT on Tuesday.
“We were given assurances that no decision has been made and that the consultation process would be reviewed,” said IMPACT spokesman Padraig Mulligan yesterday. “They have agreed to look at that and begin the consultation process again.
“It seems that none of the major stake-holders at Portiuncula Hospital were even spoken to during the review of maternity services across the region, but we are now being told that other options will be explored as part of a new consultation process.
“We have already seen a flawed points system being used in Ballinasloe to close down a psychiatric hospital at St Brigid’s Hospital.”
Mr Canavan issued a statement this week to confirm that a review of existing models of maternity services is being conducted across the West / North West Hospitals Group.
“To be absolutely clear, no services reconfiguration options have been recommended to or approved by the Board of West / North West Hospitals Group or by the senior management of the group,” said Mr Canavan.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.