Midwives working at University Maternity Hospital, Limerick, are to hold a protest outside the hospital later this week in an attempt to raise awareness of serious staffing issues there.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), midwives have been engaging with the HSE since February of this year about a range of issues, which they insist are ‘compromising care'.

Problems include:
-A significant increase in the number of women attending the hospital, including women with more complex cases
-A big increase in the demand for neonatal services. Between May and August of this year, there was a 22% increase in demand when compared to the same period in 2014
-‘Totally inadequate staffing levels', including inadequate staffing levels in the labour ward at night
-Inadequate number of essential support staff, such as porters and clerical staff.

The INMO also highlighted the fact that midwives are unable to provide psychological support to mothers who have suffered a bereavement, have a high-risk pregnancy or have a new baby born with a disability.

Meanwhile, it also warned of a ‘significant clinical skills deficit', due to the loss in recent years of expert midwives due to retirements, ‘with no concurrent HSE recruitment'. This means that junior midwives are expected to take charge of busy and complex maternity wards, which are often understaffed.

The INMO also noted that postnatal wards are often full, with 28 mothers and their babies being cared for by just two midwives.

The INMO has written to the HSE detailing the minimum level of midwives required on each unit and is awaiting a response.

"Our midwife members are extremely concerned at the standards of care currently available at the hospital and they feel they must highlight these concerns. Equally they are not satisfied that the HSE, while aware of the increased activity and complexity at the hospital, has made adequate efforts to support the midwifery service immediately through increased staffing levels in all areas," commented INMO industrial relations officer, Mary Fogarty.

The protest will take place outside the hospital between 1pm and 2pm on Friday, October 2. If matters are not resolved in the coming weeks, workers will be balloted for a work to role, meaning midwives would refuse to carry out certain non-essential duties, such as administrative and telephone duties.