Mothers have expressed their dismay that reviews which have largely blamed the lack of resources for shortcomings in the maternity unit at Portiuncula Hospital are being used to downgrade it.

The HSE announced in early July that five reviews into the care provided to women and their babies at Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) have been completed and shared with the families, with a further seven reviews underway.

Highlighting safety concerns over communication, governance, clinical care and infrastructure, it said the external management team in place since January was committed to putting in place the 34 recommendations.

A review published in 2018 – the Walker Report covering 18 cases – highlighted similar issues and as a result the HSE said groups of higher-risk women would be transferred to Galway University Hospital or the hospital of their choice.

Mary O’Malley, whose baby was born in 2017 at PUH with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, a brain injury in newborns caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain, had her case reviewed by the HSE.

“Forcing a high-risk pregnant woman to travel is not a safety plan; it’s a terrifying gamble with our lives, and our babies’ lives, on the road,” she stated.

“We were promised a safe, modern service. Instead of delivering that promise, the HSE is abandoning rural mothers and forcing us to bear the risk of its own strategic failures. This lack of accountability is more than a betrayal of trust — it is proof of a short-sighted policy that prioritises optics over people.”

Ballinasloe Councillor Evelyn Parsons, a member of the HSE Regional Health Forum West, said several mothers and families have contacted her – some of whom have experienced loss, others who have received exceptional care.

“Many now fear that their personal experiences are being used to justify the removal of services rather than improve them. The only ethical response to care failures is to make care better — not take it away from those who may need to access it,” the Independent Councillor told the Connacht Tribune.

Caption: Fears…Cllr Evelyn Parsons outside Portiuncula Hospital.

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