Medics ‘too busy’ for baby training
A MOTHER whose infant son died because medics did not read a heart monitor properly has described the revelation that doctors and nurses are too busy to do cardiac tracking training courses as ‘appalling’.
According to Róisín Molloy – whose son Mark died shortly after he was born at Portlaoise hospital in January 2012 – the report prepared by health watchdog Hiqa into the country’s maternity hospitals shows that no lessons have been learned from the mistakes which have already led to babies dying and being injured.
The Health Information and Quality Authority released its report this week and among the most damning findings was that even though training courses are provided by hospitals, nurses and doctors are not able to take time off to update their cardiac tracking monitor skills because of staff shortages.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Ms Molloy said: ‘The finding that staff are not trained appropriately is just appalling.
‘This is crazy. The report smacks of indifference, it’s very reckless and worrying.
‘Mistakes will happen. The real question that needs to be answered is why recommendations from previous reports are not implemented? All these reports are happening when children continue to die and be injured.
‘Failure to implement recommendations is reckless.’
The Hiqa report reviewed how the National Maternity Strategy is being implemented at the country’s 19 maternity units.
The strategy was launched by then-health Minister Leo Varadkar in 2016 as a result of four avoidable baby deaths at Portlaoise Hospital.
Under the plan, up to €75m was meant to be set aside over a 10-year period for improving maternity services.
However, the report found there were still chronic staff shortages at the country’s maternity hospitals and that patients are being put at risk because many of these units are in outdated buildings.
Last night the HSE insisted funds had been used to recruit more staff.
It said: ‘The funding allocated in the budget 2018 for maternity services was €4.1m. This funding was spent by the HSE on additional posts for maternity services, including consultant obstetricians and midwives.
‘In 2019, €4.1m in existing level of services funding was provided. In 2020, €1.5m in development funding has been provided and €3.5m in existing level of service funding.
‘The existing level of service funding covers the remainder of 150 new posts whose recruitment commenced in 2018.’