Hospital issues apology to the women

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda last night issued an apology to the women affected by Caesarean hysterectomies carried…

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda last night issued an apology to the women affected by Caesarean hysterectomies carried out by consultant obstetrician Dr Michael Neary.

In a statement issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE), the hospital said it wished to acknowledge the pain of the women and their families.

It said that it wanted to extend to them a personal apology for the distress they had suffered.

"The hospital intends to ensure that the events outlined in the report will not recur, by fully implementing any recommendations that are outstanding," it stated.

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The hospital said it had been working in anticipation of the report's findings and many of the recommendations were already in place.

The HSE said that, since 1998, comprehensive clinical governance arrangements had been put in place within the obstetric and gynaecological department at Our Lady of Lourdes.

It said that these arrangements included a weekly and monthly disciplinary clinical governance meeting attended by obstetricians, midwives, non-consultant medical staff, medical students, midwifery tutors and midwifery students.

There was a daily team meeting attended by obstetricians, midwives and other medical staff to review births in the previous 24 hours and to discuss any adverse incidents.

An annual clinical report was now produced, and periodic visits were made to the hospital by the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Royal College of Paediatrics in Ireland and the Royal College of Gynaecologists in Ireland.

The HSE said that consultant staff at the hospital now regularly attended national and international meetings to be updated on best international practice.

It said the role of lead clinician, as recommended in the report, was now firmly established within the department.

The hospital was satisfied that the new arrangements served as a comprehensive basis for the ongoing evaluation of obstetric and gynaecological provision at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

"Within the department of obstetrics the major emphasis is on teamwork. There is extensive daily consultation between consultants, midwives and junior hospital doctors, with all staff having an input into the management of clinical issues.

"There are monthly review meetings with pathology and paediatric colleagues.

"The delivery rate at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has doubled over the past seven years, and the perinatal mortality and neonatal mortality rates compare favourably with national and international norms," the HSE said.

It added that consultant numbers at the unit had been expanded to seven obstetricians, and that the establishment of the country's first midwife-led unit at the hospital provided "low-risk women with choice in relation to their maternity care".

Martin Wall

Martin Wall

Martin Wall is the Public Policy Correspondent of The Irish Times.