Minister opens refurbished Labour and Birthing Facility at The National Maternity Hospital during Women’s Health Week

(Pictured above: Professor Shane Higgins Master of the Maternity Hospital Martina Cronin Labour and Birthing Unit Manager (via Facetime) and Minister Donnelly at the launch of the new unit)

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, opened a newly refurbished Labour and Birthing unit at The National Maternity Hospital yesterday.

A dedicated bereavement suite and hydrotherapy pool as well as a state-of-the-art specialised room to care for immunocompromised patients have also been built.

This opening marks the beginning of the first ‘Women’s Health Week’.

Minister Donnelly meets Rachel Scolard, Aidan Heynes and their son Oscar at the opening of the refurbished Labour and Birthing unit at National Maternity Hospital

Speaking following the opening of the new unit, at Minister Donnelly said:

“I am delighted to be at The National Maternity Hospital on the first day of ‘Women’s Health Week’.

“Promoting Women’s Health is a key pillar of the broader health agenda under the Programme for Government.

“The investment and developments we are seeing across the system, including the unit we are opening today, ensure that we can deliver the improved services that women deserve and expect, both now and into the future.

“This facility will also provide a modern, comfortable, and sensitive setting required for the delivery of excellent and compassionate care for women and their families, including those experiencing difficult outcomes.”

The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) is one of the largest maternity hospitals in Ireland, incorporating Maternity, Gynaecology, Neonatology, Community Midwifery Services, Anaesthetics, Fetal Medicine, Fertility, Pathology, Radiology, Maternal Medicine, Perinatal Mental Health, National Neonatal Transfer Service and Urogynaecology.

The Hospital provides maternity care for over 7,000 women who give birth annually.

In line with the National Maternity Strategy, there are care pathways to meet the varying needs of women, including supportive care and community midwifery care, to specialist pathways for women who require care for high-risk pregnancy.

It is anticipated that this newly extended and refurbished labour and birthing unit will benefit thousands of patients every year until the hospital’s move to Elm Park.