Missed Chance to Reform Maternity Services in Northern Ireland
Prof Mary Renfrew, who conducted a review of maternity services in Northern Ireland in October 2024, has stated that an opportunity to reform these services has been missed.
This statement follows a government review revealing that maternity services in England are "not set up to deliver consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate care." Prof Renfrew is urging for "urgent transformation" in Northern Ireland's maternity care system.
The Department of Health has expressed its commitment to enhancing the safety, quality, and governance of maternity services. Efforts are ongoing, including the implementation of recommendations from Renfrew's report.
Prof Renfrew emphasized the broad acceptance of her report's recommendations, stating they were "hugely accepted as the right way forward." She noted the "phenomenal support" the report received and described the atmosphere as "optimistic."
Calls for Comprehensive Action
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster, Prof Renfrew commented on the current progress:
"From where I am looking at the moment, there are some small steps forward,"
"But we haven't yet seen the whole system, whole region action plan that's needed to transform care and transform experiences for staff."
She expressed disappointment over the lack of full implementation of the report's findings, which were developed through extensive consultation involving hundreds of people over several months.
"Taking all that work which involved hundreds and hundreds of people over the months in which we gathered the information for this report and not using it, not building on it, not implementing the recommendations is hugely disappointing."
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