Operational And Designated Midwifery Officer Homebirth Service / Assistant Director Of, University Maternity Hospital

Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) is a 150 bedded Tertiary Referral Centre for Maternity, Neonatology and Gynaecology located on the campus of Cork University Hospital. CUMH incorporates the Obstetric, Gynaecology and Neonatology Services in the Cork University Hospital Group within the Health Service Executive Southern region. CUMH has approximately 7,500 births per annum and is a tertiary referral centre.

Services at CUMH are delivered within Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate which is based on the principles of partnership and integration and strongly supports the involvement of the multidisciplinary team in service provision.

There are four Maternity Units in Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate – University Hospital Waterford, University Hospital Kerry, Cork University Maternity Hospital and Tipperary University Hospital - spanning four of the largest counties in the country. Services includes Midwifery, Obstetrics, Neonatology and Gynaecology.

The Group’s Primary Academic partner is University College Cork. A wide range of educational programmes and research is conducted within all hospitals in the Group.

CUMH is a site for clinical placements for student midwives and student nurses in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes delivered in partnership with University College Cork.

CUMH Services incorporates the use of the MN-CMS (Maternal Newborn Clinical Management System) into care delivered at CUMH.

In 2020 341 women were approved for the National HSE Homebirth Service with 195 (57%) achieving a homebirth (indicating 0.4% of total births-HIPE 2019). The National Maternity Strategy, Creating a Better Future Together, 2016-2026 (DOH, 2016) provides for greater choice for women through its recommended Model of Care comprising of three pathways of care, namely supported, assisted and specialised. The type of care package provided to women, and the pathway of care they are supported in by maternity services, is informed by the women’s clinical needs, as continual assessed through her pregnancy. The supported care pathway in maternity service is intended for normal-risk mothers and babies, with midwives leading and delivering care within a multidisciplinary framework. Within the Maternity Strategy, it is recommended that homebirth services will be integrated with community midwifery and wider maternity service as part of the recommended maternity networks.

In response to the National Maternity Strategy, the HSE identified the need to integrate the existing National HSE Homebirth Service which is currently under the governance of Community Operations into the supported care pathway as delivered by acute maternity services which are under the governance of Acute Operations and its maternity networks.

Purpose of Post

The Operational & Designated Midwife Officer will work as part of the Senior Midwifery Management Team for Maternity Services at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

The post holder will provide day-to-day operational management to the services at CUMH.

They will develop and lead on clinical practice in midwifery within CUMH.

They will represent CUMH Maternity Services Nationally, Regionally and Locally when requested by the Director of Midwifery.

The role of the HSE’s Designated Midwifery Officer (DMO) is to monitor the provision of the home birth service provided under the home birth service agreement and to facilitate communication and co-operation between the SECM, expectant woman and the HSE Maternity Unit/Hospital. This will include the approval of each home birth on its merits as per the Agreement, continuous risk assessment and approval, and sign off of each birth for payment.

The post holder will be responsible for all aspects of the management, monitoring and co-ordination of the HSE Home Births Service including the integration of the HSE Homebirth service within the supported care pathway.

Informal Enquiries

Name: Katie Bourke, Director of Midwifery, CUMH

Email: katie.bourke@hse.ie

Contact Number: 0214920500