Public Consultation on Bereavement Care in Sligo and Galway

The HSE would like to hear your views on the recently published proposed Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. In particular the HSE would like to hear from people who have experienced a pregnancy loss or the death of a baby around the time of birth.

The HSE consultation process for the Bereavement Care Standards can be accessed at www.hse.ie.

Submissions can be made through the consultation website here by email to bereavementcareconsultation@hse.ie or in writing  to Bereavement Care Consultation, HSE, Room 2.19, Dr. Steevens Hospital, Dublin 8. All submission will be reviewed on an anonymous basis.

Public meetings will be held at the following locations in the west/North West:

Tuesday 1st September 2015
From 5.00 to 7.00pm
Clarion Hotel, Clarion Road, Sligo

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
From 4.30 to 6.30pm
Meyrick Hotel, Eyre Square, Galway

On July 16th 2015, the HSE launched a public consultation process on Bereavement Care Standards following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. When implemented, these Bereavement Care Standards will seek to clearly define the Standards of Care parents and families can expect to receive following a pregnancy loss or perinatal death.

Speaking at the launch Mr. Tony O’Brien, Director General, said “The development of the Bereavement Care Standards marks another step in our progress to implement the recommendations and learning from the Galway maternity reports and other key reports since then. The health service must be in a position to respond compassionately to parents and families who experience a pregnancy loss and these Standards will be a key focus for improvement within our maternity services into the future”.

Chair of the Bereavement Care Standards Group, Dr. Ciaran Browne, said “We encourage as many people as possible to give us their views of these standards during the consultation process. We want to hear from the varying stakeholders including professionals working in the area, voluntary groups and most especially parents and families who may have experienced a pregnancy loss. The insights and feedback we receive will be important in ensuring we have identified the key improvements for the development of bereavement care services in maternity hospitals into the future”.