Eva Osborne
External reviews are currently underway into the delivery of nine babies at Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH).
Since 2024, seven babies had hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), resulting in six of those babies being referred for neonatal hypothermic treatment, also referred to as neonatal cooling.
In 2023, two stillbirths occurred at the hospital and the care provided in relation to these two deliveries is also currently being reviewed externally.
This incidence of HIE, resulting in referral for neonatal cooling treatment, is significantly higher than that observed nationally or internationally for a similar time frame.
HIE has many causes and is the reduction in the supply of blood or oxygen to a baby’s brain before, during, or even after birth.
The HSE has said HSE West and North West has appointed a highly experienced management team to oversee and manage maternity services in Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) over the coming months.
This management team, is led by an external consultant obstetrician Dr Mark Skehan and includes a director of midwifery and a senior manager. They will work on site from Monday, January 27th.
The team will report directly to the HSE West and North West regional management and will be fully responsible for managing and supporting all aspects of maternity/gynaecology and neonatal services at PUH.
The HSE said these steps are part of a number of changes it is taking as a result of concerns in relation to the provision of maternity services in PUH.
Regional clinical director HSE West and North West, Dr Pat Nash, said: “I want to firstly apologise to all those women and families for whom this news will be worrying or upsetting.
"We are making these changes now to ensure that the maternity service at Portiuncula is as safe as possible for mothers and their babies.
“External reviews are currently underway into the delivery of nine babies in PUH."
Regional executive officer at HSE West and North West, Tony Canavan, said: “Our biggest concern is for the women who have had, and will have, their babies in PUH, and for their children.
"From today, we have appointed a highly experienced team, led by an external consultant obstetrician to manage and lead the maternity service at Portiuncula University Hospital to ensure as safe and high quality services as possible, while we await the outcome of the reviews currently underway.
“We are concerned by these cases and we believe it is important that we review the care provided. The purpose of the reviews currently underway is to examine all of the clinical findings and care provided to our patients.
"We know this is a distressing time for women whose care is under review and we apologise for any added distress that this news brings. We are providing support to the families involved.
“Each of these reviews are independent and external to PUH and the West North West region. Once completed, we will meet with each family to share the review finding with them.”
