NMH

NMH | 2024 7 Governance and the entire project team to deliver this much needed infrastructure. Whilst the project continues, it will still be many years before the new Hospital opens on the Elm Park site and the many infrastructural difficulties identified in the past two decades on the Holles Street site remain a concern. During 2024 we have dealt with some significant electrical issues and also improved the stairs and flooring in some of the more critical areas. Apart from the maintenance of the aging infrastructure the growing need for additional space is a major concern. In 2013, it was clearly identified that the current site was deficient in terms of space and since that time the services have continued to expand. We have a number of urgent projects that we hope will be progressed in the next few months to provide the resources required for our staff and patients to continue to deliver essential services to women and neonates. The continued implementation of Sláintecare and specifically the introduction of the Public Only Consultant Contract since March 2023 (POCC23) has implications for the NMH, our staff and our patients. One implication particularly for obstetrics is that there are no hospitals in Ireland that offer private inpatient obstetrics. Within a few years this will likely no longer be an option for patients. The POCC23 also allows for review of service delivery and particularly the extension of the services across the day/ week subject to availability of all relevant resources. At present there is a mix of consultant contracts and there will be a gradual transition over the coming years and the impacts of this transition, both positive and negative, will need to be carefully managed. The Research and Innovation Symposium Exhibition (RISE) continues to grow and have a major impact with many staff and Departments participating each year. This highlights the ingenuity and brilliant work of the Hospital and the dedication of the incredibly skilled talented staff that are part of the Hospital. Once again, I would like to commend Prof Fionnuala McAuliffe and all the team involved for this amazing initiative. During the year the QRPS Department had some posts filled from within the Hospital. A new Director of QRPS was appointed, Dr Orla Sheil and later in the year a new Risk Manager, Mr Martin Creagh was also appointed. These roles, within the current team in QRPS, play a significant part in ensuring ongoing quality and excellence in the care of our patients. There were no HIQA reports or visits for NMH during the year but the various groups continued to work on QIPS identified from previous reports. Once again I am happy to report that our Catering Team have managed to maintain their own very high standards and during the year received a number of awards including obtaining a score of 100% in the FSPA audit and ISO 22000 certification for 2024. Our staff are our core resource and are the fundamental backbone of the delivery of quality services to our patients. Recruitment difficulties continued in many of the Midwifery and Nursing categories and also in a number of the associated healthcare professional grades such as laboratory scientists and dietetics. International recruitment has provided some much needed midwifery and nursing staff but this is relatively costly and has a long lead time before the staff come onsite. Accommodation is an ongoing issue for many staff and we have continued to rent a number of houses to provide short term accommodation for staff who are migrating to Dublin. Anecdotal evidence suggest that newly qualified staff continue to leave our employment for work in other parts of the world and there remains the issue of staff moving out of Dublin due to many factors and certainly some focus around accommodation and transport. Apart from the obvious difficulties in sourcing staff, the HSE imposed recruitment embargo and the subsequent 'pay and numbers strategy' have been a cause for concern. The fact that the pay and numbers levels were set by HSE at December 2023 employed whole time equivalent numbers (WTEs) is a major issue for NMH as the numbers employed at that stage were artificially low due to vacancies and also due to the student midwives, as usual, not being present in December. All of these issues have been raised by the NMH and many other Hospitals but there are unlikely to be any quick solutions but the Health Service need to look to long term solutions. The Executive Committee has been very aware of the difficulties and the potential risks and ongoing service needs where staff replacements are necessitated. The hospital's Executive Committee and the sub committees have continued to engage in significant work programs during the year. The output from the external review of our committees and structures has led to enhancements in documentation and updates in various committees' annual work programs. I am honoured to continue to play a small part in this fabulous institution. I really enjoy the time I spend in NMH. I am blessed with a wonderful and engaged Board who also work really hard on the committees required. We are very conscious of our responsibilities as Board members and the need for vigilance on corporate governance. We are well supported in this by a strong executive team led by Professor Shane Higgins, a big thank you to all for their involvement in NMH. We have lots to do in 2025 and no doubt face many challenges. Pat McCann, Deputy Chairman.

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