Concern baby remains sent for post-mortem

Concern baby remains sent for post-mortem

16 January 2019

LOCAL politicians have expressed concern at the absence of a paediatric pathologist in Northern Ireland which requires parents of babies who die having their children sent to England for a post-mortem.

Last year, the Health and Social Care Board took the decision to send babies to the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after the Province’s paediatric pathologist retired.

At their monthly meeting last week, Newry, Mourne and Down councillors called on Department of Health Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly to address the issue on an All Ireland basis, arguing the move would reduce the “already enormous burden”  from parents suffering from bereavement.

There was across-the-board support for the motion tabled by Mournes councillor, Willie Clarke, who agreed on a suggestion from a number of his colleagues that the reinstatement of a Belfast-based pathologist is also vital moving forward.

The Belfast Health Trust’s struggle to recruit a new pathologist prompted Cllr Clarke’s motion.

He said the process of carrying out a post mortem should be done “sensitively and swiftly” so a family could get the answers they needed from health professionals.

Cllr Clarke said using services in England would prolong this.

“This council calls on the Permanent Secretary to engage urgently with the Department of Health in the South to find an all-Ireland solution to this sensitive issue,” he continued. “Initial discussions on this issue between health officials in the North and South have already taken place.”

Cllr Clarke said efforts to recruit a Belfast-based paediatric pathologist have proved unsuccessful, despite national and international recruitment drives.

He added: “This motion seeks an all-Ireland cross-border service which is a more acceptable alternative for people here rather than them having to travel to England in very difficult circumstances. It has been acknowledged that this arrangement is far from ideal and could compound the distress of grieving families.”

Cllr Roisin Mulgrew said that as a parent she could not imagine being plunged into such a horrific situation at a time when it was important to have the support of loved ones close at hand.

Cllr John Trainor, who spoke personally about the death of his sister from a congenital heart disease, explained his mother Anne, a former local councillor herself, said the thought of having to travel to England for a post mortem with her daughter “would have wrecker her emotionally.”

He added: “My sister’s birthday is next week and every year this hits my family quite hard. The pressure on any parents who would have to take their child across the water for a post mortem are simply unbearable. An all island strategy on this issue should have been explored before now.”

Cllr Garth Craig said he supported the sentiments of the motion and realised that it was a very sensitive issue, with everyone feeling deeply for parents who are plunged into deep sorrow as the result of a child’s death.

“The main objective is to get examination reports back to parents as quickly as possible and I would like the reinstatement of a paediatric pathologist in Belfast included in the motion as part of a joint UK and Republic of Ireland approach,” he added.

Cllr David Taylor agreed that the death of a child was a very emotive issue for parents and suggested there had been a lack of strategic planning on the paediatric pathologist issue.

He added: “In some ways there has been a political failure as we have no devolved administration. I would like to see a Northern Ireland pathologist appointed, working with UK and Irish authorities to find a solution to this issue.”

Support for the motion was also voiced by Cllrs Andy McMurray, Jarlath Tinnelly and Roisin Howell.