01/08/2011

HSE To Cut Midwfery Led Services In Wexford General

Hundreds of women along with their families and friends have united in their protest against any cuts to the Domino Midwife Maternity Service at WGH.

The HSE plan to severely cut the cost saving service.

The Domino Midwifery Service runs antenatal clinics and offers continuity of care for mothers. Mothers who give birth under the Domino scheme leave hospital sooner or can sometimes opt for a home birth. A similar scheme in The National Maternity Hospital has recently been shown to save 5000 patient bed days per year.

Women have been told that the cuts are planned to happen “quietly” and as yet women are still to be officially informed of the change to their care plan or service.

In a misleading statement, on Public Radio Hospital Manager Lily Byrnes stated that the “domino service will continue”. However, staff in the hospital have been informed that cuts include a halving of staff, a transfer of postnatal care to already stretched public health nurses, elimination of home birth services and a reduction of postnatal drop-in services for mothers who have been discharged early.

A spokesperson from Defend Wexford Domino Service Group said: “We have been trying to get answers from the Hospital Manager Lily Byrnes all week regarding the cuts to the Domino Service in Wexford. She has so far failed to return any of our calls or answer our emails. We feel that this is totally unacceptable, and as a public servant she should have addressed our fears about this matter by now.”

(BMcN/GK)


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