Portiuncula University Hospital’s maternity unit has been ranked among one of the best performing in the country in the latest National Maternity Experience Survey (NMES).

This comes less than six months after the HSE moved to transfer ‘higher risk’ pregnancies out of the Ballinasloe hospital citing concerns over clinical risk.

The survey invited women who gave birth in February and March of this year to share their experiences of antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal care at maternity units nationwide.

In almost all areas surveyed as part of the National Care Experience Programme’s study, Portiuncula outperformed the national average – and scored higher than University Hospital Galway (UHG) where Ballinalsoe’s high-risk patients are being sent.

Ballinasloe-based Councillor Evelyn Parsons (Ind) said these results highlighted the need for the release of “hard data and written evidence” to explain why the decision had been made to “effectively downgrade” services at Portiuncula – and to allow for a public discussion on what can be done to see those services restored.

As expectant mothers with higher risk pregnancies from East Galway and surrounding areas faced travelling to Galway City or to other maternity units in the midlands, Cllr Parsons said it was critical that all the facts were laid out.

“To make any change to a maternity service, which is obviously a very important service, the evidence and data supporting that change should be made public,” she said, noting that Portiuncula also scored highest in the region in the 2020 NMES, showing a ‘consistency’ in care.

The results of this national survey, said the Independent councillor, showed that Portiuncula was delivering high-quality maternity care. It also showed that UHG’s performance was “acceptable, but not leading . . . despite its specialist status”.

Cllr Parsons said the survey also showed that postnatal care was a ‘weakness’ at UHG but was one of Portiuncula’s strengths.

“This is not about pitting one service against the other. But patient satisfaction is hugely significant and is very interlinked with care – across antenatal, birth, neonatal and postnatal care.

“I don’t want to be simplistic and say this tells the whole story and I am mindful that there are more reports to come. And there may well be other figures that back the HSE’s decision on Portiuncula – but we haven’t been provided with them,” she said.

In the NMES report, Portiuncula’s score out of 10 in antenatal care is 7.7 – the equal highest in the country for hospital settings. That puts it above the national average and above University Hospital Galway which scored 6.7.

In scores for care during labour and birth by maternity service, Portiuncula was marked 8.3 out of 10 – bang on the national average and above UHG’s score of 7.9.

Pictured: Portiuncula Hospital…positive report.