No reinstatement for Portiuncula maternity services
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has no plans to reinstate full maternity services to Portiuncula University Hospital.
Pressed several times to outline the plan for restoration of maternity services to Ballinasloe, Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer, HSE West and North West, said the focus remained on transferring high-risk pregnancies into University Hospital Galway (UHG).
“We are not in a position to consider that yet,” he told Councillor Evelyn Parsons (Ind) at the latest HSE West Regional Health Forum meeting.
When Councillor Parsons pushed for a commitment to reinstate full maternity services at Portiuncula, and to provide a timeline, Mr Canavan said his earlier response was “very clear”.
“Our focus is on transferring of high-risk cases from Portiuncula to Galway,” he said.
Councillor Parsons sought clarity, but Mr Canavan insisted: “We do not have a plan to reinstate services to Portiuncula”.
The external management team appointed in January 2025 to oversee and manage maternity services in Portiuncula is still in place.
Mr Canavan expects the external team to remain in place until this coming summer.
He told Councillor Alan Harney (FG) that 96% of the work of the external review teams including improvements and implementation of recommendations was completed.
Five external reviews are in progress, expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2026.
Mr Canavan outlined that the HSE had “strengthened the process” to make sure the transfer of higher risk patients to UHG is done safely.
He also outlined improvements at Portiuncula, including the relocation of the maternity outpatients from the main PUH building to a dedicated facility on the grounds of the hospital.
The facility includes nine clinical rooms, including a dedicated phlebotomy service “to help make clinic visits more efficient and convenient for women” he said.
He confirmed upgrade works to the four labour ward rooms are complete, and so too is work on a dedicated admissions room for the maternity unit.