The Health Service Executive recently published National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death in Ireland. This is a welcome development to ensure the highest level of care for bereaved parents at each of the nineteen maternity units/ hospitals in the state.As a chaplain I was delighted to be invited to be part of the Expert Development Group and was honoured to work with over twenty other healthcare professionals over the last two years to bring this work to completion.
The challenge now is to move toward implementation which is being ably lead by Dr Keelin O'Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician and Fetal medicine specialist at Cork University Maternity Hospital and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University College Cork. Dr O'Donoghue also leads our multidisciplinary Pregnancy Loss Research Group at CUMH/UCC.
On a personal note I acknowledge the support of the Diocesan Council of Cork, Cloyne and Ross and the Board of Directors of St Luke's Home, Mahon who together fund my chaplaincy post. In addition to providing pastoral ministry at Cork University Hospital and Maternity Hospital this funding has enabled me to contribute to this important national process.
