Call for major rethink on birth services

Full obstetric services must be restored to Monaghan General Hospital, the Sinn Féin TD for the area has said.

Full obstetric services must be restored to Monaghan General Hospital, the Sinn Féin TD for the area has said.

Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said "no amount of tinkering at the edges" would address the fears of families throughout the greater part of Co Monaghan and called for the resignation of the board's chief executive officer, Mr Paul Robinson.

The independent review team, established by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, had "not grappled with the fundamental truth that it was the decision to close the maternity unit at Monaghan General Hospital that was the primary contributory factor to the Livingstone tragedy".

He voiced concern at the possibility that staff at the hospital might be held responsible for what happened.

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"Staff, despite the review team's assertion to the contrary, have had to work under the most strained and uncertain circumstances for some considerable time," Mr Ó Caoláin said.

"Health board executive and group hospital management have been the primary contributors to the situation.

"Mr Finbar Lennon's resignation should be allowed to stand and should be followed by others with whom he was closely associated," he said.

"While the review team's recommendations regarding revised protocols, their implementation and ongoing review, the reintroduction of the 'runner' system, the provision of a flying squad and of adequate facilities for the delivery and management of a pre-term infant at Monaghan General Hospital are undoubtedly welcome in themselves, they are nevertheless all focused on emergency obstetric cases only."

Mr Paudge Connolly, Independent TD for Cavan-Monaghan, also called for Mr Robinson to accept the resignation of Mr Finbar Lennon, the board's medical adviser, and to then consider his own position.

He said the tendered resignation of Mr Lennon and that of the board's general nursing representative, Ms Nancy Allen, showed a lack of confidence in the chief executive.

"The Minister's independent team had begun to dig things up about how inadequate protocols were, how low morale is among staff, how things are just not working," he said.

Calling on the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to instigate further independent investigations into the adequacy of health services in the north-east, he said: "If the same team had been let loose to investigate accident and emergency services it is mind-boggling."

He welcomed the calling of a special meeting of the NEHB on January 7th to discuss the implication of the independent report.

He said, however, that the meeting should also discuss issues not dealt with in the report, including the provision of A&E services at Monaghan and the hospital's continuing "off-call" status.

Mr Hugh McElvanney, the Fine Gael mayor of Monaghan, said he had been bringing the issues now being addressed by Mr Martin to his attention for the past year.

"It seems terrible that it has taken a tragedy to befall the Livingstone family to get him to listen and take action," he said.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times