Figures indicate further investigation into maternity units is underway

According to recent figures, investigations into cases of death or serious harm to infants or their mothers are currently being undertaken in maternity units in the North East hospital group.

The statistics also show a breakdown of 49 serious incidents which occurred in 19 of the country’s maternity units since 2012.

Ten cases are being investigated in maternity units in the Saolta hospital group in the West of Ireland while 14 cases are currently under review in the Dublin North East hospital group.

Figures show that nine cases are under review in maternity units in the Dublin Midlands Hospitals Group while eight are being investigated in a hospital group which covers the south of the country.

In addition to this, six are under review in Ireland East while two cases of death or serious harm are under review at the maternity unit in the University of Limerick.

While releasing the information under the Freedom of Information Act, the HSE has refused to identify individual units for fear of breaching patient confidentiality.

Following grave concerns and scathing reports surrounding the standard of the country’s maternity units, Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, is establishing a patient advocacy service and calling for the creation of a national maternity strategy