AIMSI call for National Guidelines for clinical practice in maternity care

national | consumer issues | press release Wednesday June 09, 2010 13:38 by AIMS Ireland - Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services Ireland info at aimsireland dot com

consent pratices in Irish maternity care not adequate says service users

Since October 2008, AIMS Ireland has been corresponding with Prof Brendan Drumm, HSE CEO to highlight the issue of consent-related practices within Irish maternity hospitals. AIMSI has repeatedly called on Prof Drumm and the HSE to review service user consent policy in Irish maternity services and for the creation and implementation of National Guidelines for Clinical Practice in Maternity Care . Further, these must include the publication of annual clinical reports and hospital statistics per unit and per individual consultant practicing within each unit.

Since October 2008, AIMS Ireland has been corresponding with Prof Brendan Drumm, HSE CEO to highlight the issue of consent-related practices within Irish maternity hospitals. AIMSI has repeatedly called on Prof Drumm and the HSE to review service user consent policy in Irish maternity services and for the creation and implementation of National Guidelines for Clinical Practice in Maternity Care . Further, these must include the publication of annual clinical reports and hospital statistics per unit and per individual consultant practicing within each unit.

In the AIMSI survey, The Availability of Information and Consent*, 75.6% of respondents stated that they felt that consent is an issue of concern in the Irish maternity system.

To date AIMSI has received neither acknowledgement nor response to our correspondence.

We are becoming increasingly appalled by this blatant disregard for women’s rights, dignity and respect in relation to their maternity care. A National Guideline for Clinical Practice in Maternity Care would also protect midwives, nurses, and the code of ethics in which they practice.

Together with the support of our colleagues, allied organisations, birth and other consumer support groups, academics and politicians, we are again writing to Professor Drumm and HSE senior management. We hope to convey a clear message that as advocates for women as service users, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters and friends, and also as maternity care providers with a distinct code of practice, we deserve and have a constitutional right to be heard and formally responded to on this issue.

Copy of May 2010 letter here
aimsireland.com/files/aimsletterprofdrummhsemay19.pdf

A full history of AIMSI correspondence to the HSE on consent related practices in Irish maternity hospitals can be found here: http://www.aimsireland.com/news/?topic=lobbying#_lobItem4

kind regards,

AIMS Ireland
Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services
www.aimsireland.com
[email protected]
[email protected]