Sir, – Dr Sam Coulter Smith, Master of the Rotunda hospital, is quoted as saying, “You cannot have a safe home birth service run by independent midwives without an appropriate governance structure” (HEALTHplus, June 5th).
The independent domiciliary midwives (who provide the majority of Ireland’s home birth service), operate under stringent terms of practice that have been approved by the HSE’s risk assessors. They are paid directly by the HSE, insured by the State’s clinical indemnity scheme and the clients they take are screened by an obstetrician and approved by their local director of public health nursing. Notes for each birth are copied and open to scrutiny by the national lead midwife.
The domiciliary midwives operate under the guidelines of An Bord Altranais. To suggest otherwise is misinformed and alarmist to the many mothers and families who are currently under their excellent care. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Dr Sam Coulter Smith seems very critical of home birth. Is this sour grapes because the Rotunda has not managed to operate a popular home birth service on the lines of its competitors across the Liffey at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street? There a home birth service has been in operation since 1999, with excellent safety and satisfaction outcomes. I know, as I had two of my babies there. – Yours, etc,