New Bereavement Room ‘Seomra Ciúin’ opened at University Hospital Galway

A new bereavement room for patients and families using the maternity services at University Hospital Galway was officially opened yesterday evening, Thursday, 07 December by Cathy Quinn, the First Midwife Consultant in Perinatal Bereavement Care appointed in Ireland. Semora Ciúin is the first in-patient bereavement room to be opened in the country.

AnneMarie Grealish, Assistant Director of Midwifery, Women and Children's Directorate, University Hospital Galway explains, “Having identified the need for a single en-suite room to provide a protected area for women who are grieving following an early miscarriage, we were delighted to be awarded the funding by the Design & Dignity programme.  Seomra Ciùin will also provide a dedicated space for patients who are approaching the end of life.  The room is a fully equipped clinical space but the design ensures that it is physically and aesthetically comforting for both patients and their families.”  

The single occupancy room has en-suite shower/bathroom facilities with tea/coffee station  The interior design was undertaken to ensure privacy and dignity. The room is designed also to facilitate overnight stays for partners/family members.

The project was funded under the Design and Dignity Grant Fund which is operated and co- funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) and the Health Service Executive (HSE). University Hospital Galway is one of over 48 hospitals in Ireland linked to the Hospice Friendly Hospitals (HFH) Programme.  The HFH Programme is an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation. It seeks to ensure that palliative, end of life and bereavement care are central to the everyday business of hospitals.

Sharon Foley CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation said, “We hope that this new bereavement room will be sanctuaries for women and their families to be together in private at extremely difficult times in their lives.  The essence of Design & Dignity projects is to convey a sense of reverence and respect for life, death and bereavement.”

Chris Kane, General Manager, University Hospital Galway said, “We are very grateful to the Irish Hospice Foundation for supporting the proposal made by staff in our maternity unit for this dedicated room. Great thought and effort has gone into the design and development of this space which will be used by patients and their families attending the maternity unit.”

Dr Ethel Ryan, Saolta Clinical Director, Women and Children’s Directorate and Consultant Neonatologist / Paediatrician said, “This new Bereavement Room was very much needed and now means we will be able to give women, their partners and families the time and space they need in times of grief and bereavement.”

Photo caption:
Photo 3767 - At the official opening of Seomra Ciúin L:R Maurice Power, CEO, Saolta University Health Care Group; Sharon Foley, CEO, Irish Hospice Foundation; Cathy Quinn, Consultant in Perinatal Bereavement Care and AnnMarie Grealish, Assistant Director of Midwifery, Women and Children's Directorate, University Hospital Galway.

Photo – Seomra Ciúin – Anne McKeown, Bereavement Officer, University Hospital Galway; Sharon Foley, CEO, Irish Hospice Foundation; AnnMarie Grealish, Assistant Director of Midwifery, Women and Children's Directorate, University Hospital Galway; Maurice Power, CEO, Saolta University Health Care Group and Cathy Quinn, Consultant in Perinatal Bereavement Care.