AIMS Ireland Statement: Resignation of Noel Daly

AIMS Ireland (AIMSI) welcome today’s resignation of Mr. Noel Daly. It was clear that was a conflict of interest around the appointment of his company Health Partnership to review maternity services in the West/Northwest region. It was very unsettleing to learn that the commissioning of this review did not fall in line with current procurement practices.

These facts along with Mr. Daly’s 2005 letter to revenue outlining his blueprint for privatisation of aspects of Irish healthcare give grave cause for concern. AIMS Ireland have no confidence in the review of maternity services drawn up by Health Partnership. We strongly urge Minister O’Reilly to re-commission a review of services in the region. We would hope that any evidence-based review would reflect the need to retain well performing units which deliver high patient satisfaction and have a history of supporting evidence-based care. Retaining these units and their ethos is an integrial part of improving services across all sites.

AIMS would hope that any review will give a high priority to prevention of born before arrival births (BBAs). That distance from services and conditions of travel will factor highly in assessing future service. We strongly feel that savings can be made by focusing on normalising birth, through support for evidence-based care as outlined by WHO, RCOG, NICE among others. Closure of maternity units and centralising of services does not deliver good quality maternity care. We are saddened to see tragedies being used by successive governments to push through models of care, which they have no mandate for.

AIMSI once again insists for transparency, accountability from our government. This cynical practice must stop here and now.

ENDS