Women distressed at suspension of Midwest home birth services, say midwives
Died Laura Birth Her At Liston Of Baby Who Following Boy Limerick In Home The
The “unprecedented” suspension of home birth services in the Midwest after the tragic death of a woman in Limerick has led to further distress for women.
That is according to the Community Midwives Association, which represents self-employed midwives including those under contract with the HSE to provide homebirths.
“The Community Midwives Association (CMA) was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Laura Liston following the birth of her baby boy at home on June 5,” spokeswoman Ali Murphy said, in the group’s first comment on this devastating event.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and wider community where she was much loved and highly regarded, particularly her husband and son at this difficult time.”
Ms Murphy, a community midwife working in Dublin, said Ms Liston’s death also shocked everyone in the homebirth community. The Limerick service has been under the governance of the UL Hospital Group since February, as part of a national move to transfer governance of homebirths from community healthcare to hospitals.
A steering group working on these changes nationally has met once so far. A hospital spokesman said a temporary suspension of the service put in place last week “remains in effect” with pregnant women and midwives locally informed.
Ms Murphy said: “Immediate cessation of a service with a record of safety is not only unprecedented, but serves to add further distress to all who choose to avail of, and provide for, this choice of maternity care to low-risk women.”
Women have been told a hospital birth in University Maternity Hospital Limerick is available for them. However, in some cases women have applied to homebirth services in other counties. It is believed some Limerick midwives, not those directly involved with the tragedy, have registered with other services.
Should any of the women affected go ahead with a homebirth in Limerick, and if they were to require transfer to their nearest hospital, the Limerick hospitals would treat them.
The spokesman said a group of external experts, including midwives and obstetricians, is being put together to carry out a review. This will include patient safety and clinical governance among other issues.
Ms Murphy said: "We welcome an open, respectful, timely and transparent review that ensures the highest standards of maternity care possible to women, babies and their families within the Irish maternity service including resumption of homebirth services in Limerick."
Chair of maternity advocacy group AIMS Ireland, Dr Krysia Lynch said it is “vital” families and caregivers are treated with equal respect, fairness and transparency during the review process.
Referring to the situation in Limerick, she said: “We were pleased to learn from a number of women in the mid-west that their home births are going ahead as planned and that, should they need to transfer to hospital care, they will transfer to UMHL as planned."