Nine births at Portiuncula Hospital under review including two stillbirths as HSE appoints new team to run maternity services

Following a troubling year for the maternity services at a hospital, marked by incidents including seven infants experiencing hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) and two stillbirths in 2023, a new, highly experienced management team has been appointed. The Saolta hospital group announced that external reviews are underway to investigate the care provided during these incidents. HIE, caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, has led to higher referral rates for neonatal cooling treatments than seen nationally or internationally, emphasizing the urgency for improved care and oversight within the department.

A 'highly experienced' management team has been appointed to improve maternity services after serious incidents, including oxygen deprivation in infants and stillbirth investigations.

The hospital is under scrutiny due to an alarming rate of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy cases among newborns, prompting external reviews of their maternity care.

Read at Irish Independent