Following a proposal from the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI, a joint Institute/HSE Working Group was set up on the 10 July 2007 and has been meeting with the stated objective of Ireland linking up with the UK-based Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CEMACH; www.cemach.org.uk).
Considerable progress has been made, and funding has been secured from the HSE to enable Ireland to join up with CEMACH with the commencement of the next reporting triennium on 1st January 2009. The CEMACH Report has over many years informed professionals engaged in the provision of maternity services, and has made a major contribution to improving standards of care.
This development has the support of the Department of Health and Children, the Health Service Executive and the State Claims Agency. The CEMACH Ireland stand-alone office will be set up in the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre at Cork University Maternity Hospital and be staffed by an Irish CEMACH Coordinator who will be responsible for arranging assessment of reported cases, anonymisation of data, and link directly with the CEMACH central office in London. In future, therefore, Irish maternal mortality data will be included in the CEMACH triennial report which currently covers all cases in England, Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland.
This is an important step forward for those involved in the delivery of maternity services in Ireland and the Working Group formally launched CEMACH Ireland on Tuesday 28th April 2009 in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
Programme ~ Presentations