HSE commit to weekly site visits to maternity units to ensure full compliance with guidelines – Doherty

A commitment from the HSE that weekly site visits will commence to ensure the current guidelines are implemented in each of the 19 maternity units across the country is a welcome move in the right direction, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Leader of Seanad Éireann, Regina Doherty, organised and chaired a meeting between the HSE and female TDs and Senators from across parties in the Oireachtas this week.

The delegation explained the horrors that have been experienced by women in our maternity units due to the restrictions on partners’ access.

Senator Doherty said, “During our meeting with Oireachtas members, the HSE issued us with a commitment that weekly site visits will commence shortly to ensure that each maternity unit is compliant with HSE guidelines and implementing the nine criteria which allow partners to accompany their loved ones. The HSE also committed to delivering a weekly grid system as a way of measuring compliance levels for each maternity unit.

“A letter, signed by over 40 female members of the Oireachtas, was presented to the CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid, at the meeting to highlight the urgency of this issue.

“It is imperative that I commend the brave women of the #BetterMaternityCare campaign group. In particular, Emma Carroll, Linda Kelly and Caroline Cumming who met with us- the women of the Oireachtas- to try and turn right what has been so wrong and unacceptable in 21^st century Ireland. Their dedication and perseverance is an inspiration to us all.

“The fight for maternity care and access began with this group of women and from September 29^th, will see them having made significant progress when they receive assurances from the HSE and Department of Health that the guidelines to allow couples be together with their newborn children are enforced across all of our 19 maternity units,” concluded Senator Doherty