Thursday 12 March 2015

PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MATERNITY SERVICES IRELAND (AIMSI) – CHOICES IN MATERNITY SERVICES; WOMEN GIVE UNPRECEDENTED THUMBS UP TO FREE STANDING BIRTH CENTRES

PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MATERNITY SERVICES IRELAND (AIMSI) – CHOICES IN MATERNITY SERVICES; WOMEN GIVE UNPRECEDENTED THUMBS UP TO FREE STANDING BIRTH CENTRES

MARCH 12TH 2015
For immediate release 12th March 2015

Press statement from The Association of Improvements in the Maternity Services Ireland (AIMSI)
 
Contact Krysia Lynch 087 7543751
email chair@aimsireland.ie In 2014, AMSi undertook the largest consumer based survey of the Maternity Services in Ireland and the initial set of  results on care pathways are being released this Saturday. The Survey; What Matters To You was completed by 2835 women who had used the Irish Maternity Services in the last four years. Respondents used all maternity units, as well as domiciliary care, and the majority of women (75%) were not first time mothers. The survey uncovered a broad range of issues in relation to maternity services and women’s experiences of them. A key finding was that over 90% of respondents stated that women should have the choice of freestanding birth centres. Currently there are NO free standing birth centres in Ireland and very little in terms of midwifery led care per se.
Krysia Lynch, AIMSI Co Chair says “One of the critical decisions in engaging with the maternity services for a woman is the choice of care provider. Recent maternity events in Ireland have highlighted that Ireland is unusual in comparison to other OECD countries in that women are given very limited choices in terms of care pathways and care providers. Our maternity services are overwhelmingly medicalised and obstetric led, when all the available evidence points to midwifery led care being the most suitable option for the majority of women. In midwifery led birth options women are subject to the fewest unnecessary routine interventions and therefore have the lowest risk of morbidity whilst still having excellent perinatal outcomes. Our current system does not provide women with the appropriate range of care options and as a result, all women suffer.  Implementing a full range of care options, from hospital based midwife led care options, homebirth, birth centres, in addition to hospital based obstetric care, not only ensures evidence based care is available to women, but also takes pressure off obstetric led units for women who need this type of specialised care. Choice benefits all.”
Not only are we lagging far behind in terms birth centre provision  but it would appear that any moves to address this discrepancy have been actively stonewalled by the HSE and Department of Health.Ciara Consodine of the Philomena Canning Campaign says “Given the unprecedented demand for birth centres here, combined with the fact that leading independent midwife Philomena Canning has been pursuing them for years, it begs the question as to why the HSE systematically refuses to support them. We are pursuing this with the Minister for Health and hope to bring this issue — along with the highly questionable circumstances surrounding Ms Canning’s unlawful suspension — before an Oireachtas health committee hearing in the near future.”
Further results of the What Matters to You 2014 Survey will be presented by Dr. Krysia Lynch at the AIMSI AGM on Saturday 14th March The Outhouse, Capel St, Dublin 1at 1.30pm and Philomena Canning will speak on “Outcomes of a midwife’s practice under the HSE Home Birth Scheme, October 2008 – September 2014″ at 2.30pm
More details on
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For more information on AIMSI
For more information on midwifery led care
For more information on the Philomena Canning Campaign
#isupportphilomenacanning

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