Last-ditch talks to resolve the row over the proposed transfer of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) to St Vincent's Hospital are expected to take place shortly after both institutions signalled their willingness to meet on the issue.
The appointment of Minister for Health Simon Harris has coincided with a partial thaw in relations between the hospitals, though his call on protagonists to "put their egos to one side" was not well received.
Mr Harris and officials of the Department of Health are likely to meet representatives of each hospital separately before any face-to-face discussions on the stalled €150 million move of the NMH from Holles Street.
“We need a NMH. The people of Ireland, and expectant mothers and their families, want hospitals built and do not want it bogged down in any row over ethos or governance,” said Mr Harris.
St Vincent's chairman Jimmy Menton says he would welcome a resumption of "meaningful dialogue" with the maternity hospital in the near future.
The NMH responded by saying it urgently wanted to engage in discussions to see whether an agreement can be reached that would allow a planning permission for the new hospital to be lodged.
Patient safety
The two hospitals are locked in a dispute over governance which has prevented the application being lodged. St Vincent’s says the NHM board should be subsumed into its own board for patient safety and efficient operation, but the maternity hospital says it must retain its own board, and an obstetrician serving as master in the role of chief executive.
Ethical issues have also been raised, with former NMH master Peter Boylan claiming St Vincent's could prevent the hospital providing IVF, sterilisation and other services because of its Catholic ethos, unless his hospital retained control.
In its statement, the NMH notes the commitment made by St Vincent’s that no restrictions would be placed on procedures. “We totally accept their bona fides in this regard.”
Both hospitals have issues of importance they wish to see addressed when they are co-located, according to the NMH.
