Summary of Maternity and Neonatal Network Meeting April 2015 (MNN 15)

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Maternity & Neonatal Hospice Friendly Hospitals Network
Event summary 23 April 2015. Ashling Hotel, Dublin.
Background
In October 2013 the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme with The Coombe Women & Infants
University Hospital, The National Maternity Hospital & The Rotunda Hospital co-hosted a workshop for
staff in maternity services with a role in bereavement and end-of-life care. At this workshop a national
network was formed. The aim of this network is to share information and advocate for improvements in
end-of-life care and bereavement services. Each maternity unit and hospital in Ireland is represented on
the network.
The Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme hosted a network
event in July 2014 and in April 2015 over sixty healthcare
professionals from all across Ireland gathered for what was an
informative and supportive event.
Sharon Foley, CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation (pictured
left) warmly welcomed delegates to the network event.
Morning session
Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death
Dr Ciarán Browne, National Lead for Acute Hospital Services, HSE and
Anne Bergin PhD, Project Manager, HSE presented an update on work
relating to HSE National Implementation Group for the Maternity
Services. Click to view presentation.
The (draft) ‘National Standards for Bereavement Care Following
Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death’ will be available online over the
coming weeks as part of the consultation phase. The Maternity &
Neonatal HFH Network will be notified as soon as the consultation
website is live.
Overview of the Palliative Care Service at our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin
Liz O'Donoghue CNS in Palliative Care presented an overview of the palliative
care service in OLCHC, with a focus on caring for neonates.
Colleagues around the country are welcome and encouraged to contact the
team in Crumlin for support & information on 01-4096100.
Click to view presentation.

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Perinatal Palliative Care
Orla O’Connell, Bereavement and Loss Midwife at Cork University
Maternity Hospital presented on a study of women’s experiences of
continuing a pregnancy which has been diagnosed with anencephaly.
For more information on this research and the Miscarriage and Pregnancy
Loss Service at CUMH please contact Orla via orla.oconnell@hse.ie
The experiences of mothers as they suppress lactation following late miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal
death
Denise McGuinness, CMS (Lactation), NMH Holles St & Clinical Tutor - Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin
presented on recent research which has won a number of national awards. Two leaflets for bereaved
mothers have been developed as a result of this research; Brest Care following the Loss of Your Baby and
the newly published Postnatal Support Following the Loss of a Baby. Click to view presentation.
Launch of new leaflet: Postnatal Support Following the Loss of a Baby
Pictured below is Marie Cregan, Féileacáin (centre)
with Denise McGuinness & Dr Barbara Coughlan, UCD.
Féileacáin has sponsored the publication of this leaflet
which will shortly be available with Féileacáin memory
boxes in maternity hospitals and units around the
county.
Additional copies of the leaflet are available from
Féileacáin. Contact Áoife on 028 22407
or email admin@feileacain.ie
Afternoon session: resources & information sharing
Delivering Bad News is a new training package developed by the Irish Hospice Foundation. The range of
educational supports includes; ½ day facilitated workshops, ‘prompts for practice’, animations and other
supports. Contact claire.banks@hospicefoundation.ie for more information or click on the images below
to go directly to the free resources.
Prompts for practice Animation

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Ann Charlton, Chaplin in the Rotunda Hospital displayed the range of special bags for
parents used by the bereavement team in the hospital. Mementos, spiritual items etc.
are placed in the bags in a discreet way. The bags were developed in partnership with
the fundraising charity linked to the hospital. For further information about these bags
contact: Sheila Thompson at Friends of the Rotunda friends@rotunda.ie or visit
www.delpac.ie Sheila Thompson manages all donations to the bereavement-specific
fund and the bereavement team in the Rotunda work very closely with Sheila in
sourcing items to enhance the service provided to bereaved families.
Information from international conferences
A number of colleagues around the country have recently attended international events.
Event Website Contact for more information
International Palliative Care
Congress
http://www.palliativecare.ca/en/w
elcome_message/welcome_messa
ge.html
Daniel Nuzum, CUMH
daniel.nuzum@hse.ie
Resolve through Sharing. Training
http://www.gundersenhealth.org/r
esolve-through-sharing
Renee Dilworth, Coombe Hospital
rdilworth@coombe.ie
Society for Maternal Fetal
Medicine annual conference
https://www.smfm.org/
Daniel Nuzum, CUMH
daniel.nuzum@hse.ie
International Congress on
stillbirth, SIDS and Baby Survival
(ISA/ISPID Congress)
http://www.babysurvival2014.nl/
Orla O’Connell, CUMH
orla.oconnell@hse.ie
International Perinatal
Bereavement Conference
Click here for presentation from
23 April.
http://www.plida.org/
Grace O’Sullivan, HFH Programme
grace.osullivan@hospicefoundation.ie
Maternity & Neonatal Hospice Friendly Hospital Network. April 2015
This network is supported by the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme,
an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation