Over 9,700 clinical incidents were reported by maternity services last year, 75 of which were rated as extreme in severity, a major new report has revealed.

The report by the State Claims Agency (SCA) is based on an analysis of clinical incidents and claims in maternity and gynaecological services.

It found that when it comes to clinical incidents, the national rates in Irish maternity services are similar to international rates. A total of 9,787 incidents were reported by maternity services in 2014, 75 of which were extremely severe.

The report noted that not all of these cases were avoidable. Some were due to, for example, unavoidable natural events and significant congenital anomalies.

The cost of maternity claims was €58 million in 2014, a jump of 80% when compared with the €32 million spent in 2010.

The six most common maternity claims related to perineal tear, shoulder dystocia, stillbirth unexplained neonatal death, cerebral irritability/neonatal seizure and ‘other'.

Separately, total expenditure on cerebral palsy claims jumped by 77%, from €27 million in 2010 to €47 million in 2014.

Meanwhile, the six most commonly occurring incidents reported in gynaecology services between 2010 and 2014 were unplanned re-attendance, missing or misplaced clinical records, patient falls without supervision, failure or faulty medical devices or equipment, delayed or cancelled surgery and ‘other'.

The report noted that delayed or cancelled surgery had increased 10-fold during this period.

Total expenditure on gynaecology claims was €4.2 million.

According to the report's author, Dr Dubhfeasa Slattery, head of clinical risk with the SCA, its purpose is to ‘help improve patient safety and experience by highlighting the most common clinical incidents and claims, tracking them over time to identify trends/patterns and by providing some risk management recommendations to help prevent clinical incidents occurring'.

"Throughout the writing of this report, the difficult journeys of mothers, babies, families and women with gynaecological symptoms in Ireland was central. This is a first step in providing detailed baseline data regarding maternity and gynaecology clinical incidents and claims pertaining to maternity and gynaecology services, promoting further transparency into the future," she commented.

The report was welcomed by the Department of Health, which noted that it provides ‘important baseline data against which future performance may be measured'.

"The report contains the type of analysis that will add to our patient safety information and intelligence. It will assist us to identify patterns and trends in the occurrence of healthcare incidents," commented the department's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan.

The report can be viewed here