AIMSI calls for Maternity Services Consumer Groups in the East and West

national | consumer issues | press release Wednesday August 27, 2008 10:23 by Jene Kelly - Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services - Ireland (AIMSI) info at aimsireland dot com

Time for the voice of Consumers to be heard.

The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services - Ireland (AIMSI) is a national non-profit organisation which offers support services and lobbies for changes in the Irish Maternity System.

AIMSI's regional chapters of AIMSI Northeast , AIMSI Mid-Leinster , and AIMSI West have publicly called for Consumer Groups to be implemented in the 3 Dublin Maternity Hospitals and Galway's UCHG in order to better assist communications between hospital management, staff, and consumers.

The regional Chapters of AIMSI Mid Leinster , Northeast, and West have met and expressed an interest in working with management in creating a series of consumer groups for women in the Dublin region and Galway to mirror those on the Northeast at Cavan and Drogheda. AIMSI are currently concentrating on the Rotunda Maternity Hospital, NMH at Holles Street, the Coomb Women's Hospital, and UCHG.

Why a Consumer Group?

Consumer groups offer a unique partnership between Carers, Hospital Management and Consumers and help initiate communication within the hospital and the community it serves. Consumer groups are widely beneficial, both to the hospital and those who wish to get involved. A Consumer Group would offer a unique platform for the Community and Hospital to find ways to further expand on the excellent service provided by the hospitals and to work together on problem solving. AIMSI North East, Mid-Leinster and West base these recommendations on the success of the OLOL Drogheda and Cavan groups, to which AIMSI have had the pleasure of being involved in. The OLOL and Cavan Consumer Group has made huge strides and has created keen international interest in creating a variety of sub-groups targeting key issues in these maternity units. Areas of focus include: Policy Guidelines and Protocols, Information, Home Birth and Midwife Led expansion schemes, Multicultural Issues,
and Post Natal issues.

AIMSI would like to replicate the format and success of the Northeast Groups at Cavan and OLOL Drogheda for the Dublin and Galway areas and eventually hope to implement groups in the South and Northwest also.

In the effort of breaking ground on this exciting prospect, AIMSI North East, Mid-Leinster, and West have created several online surveys for consumers who access the 3 major Dublin Hospitals at NMH, The Coombe, and The Rotunda and UCHG in Galway in order to ascertain if a Consumer Group would be well received with Consumers within the hospitals' catchment areas. AIMSI would also like to gage interest in Consumer Representatives (you and me!) on becoming involved with a Consumer Group and also the level of interest in representatives from Community/Support organisations locally for involvement.

AIMSI North East, Mid-Leinster, and West would like to emphasise that a Consumer Groups would further extend the excellent care provided in these hospitals and would reflect the strong progressive ethos already in existence. Consumer input is the way forward for the Irish maternity system.

For more information on AIMSI initiatives or if you would like to attend an AIMSI meeting near you please visit our website at: www.aimsireland.com or email us at: info@aimsireland.com

AIMSI West contact Christina: Christina@aimsireland.com
AIMSI Mid-Leinster Chairperson Gillian: Gillian@aimsireland.com
AIMSI Northeast Coordinator Jene: Jene@aimsireland.com

SURVEY LINKS

Please register your vote to make consumer input a part of the Irish Maternity System!

NMH: http://aimsireland.com/Survey/survey.php?s_id=8

Coombe: http://aimsireland.com/Survey/survey.php?s_id=7

Rotunda: http://aimsireland.com/Survey/survey.php?s_id=5

UCHG: http://aimsireland.com/Survey/survey.php?s_id=9