About 150 women turned away for private care by National Maternity Hospital consultants
The National Maternity Hospital in Dublin has turned away approximately 150 women seeking private care due to a shortage of consultants under new public-only contracts. This shift marks the beginning of the end for private maternity services in Irish public hospitals.
Why it matters
The policy change significantly impacts healthcare access and the structure of the Irish maternity care system.
About 150 women have been turned away for private care by consultants at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) over the last six weeks, as private maternity services begin to end in Irish hospitals .
A senior clinician at one of the biggest maternity hospitals in the country said it was only the second time in almost 30 years that he could recall doctors at Holles Street refusing mothers who wanted to go private.
Declan Keane, clinical director and former master at the NMH, said the end of private maternity care in publicly funded hospitals was “kicking in already” and “will be a real problem” over the next five years.
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