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RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
IPA says incomplete maternity hospital patient safety reports 'sloppy'
A review of monthly patient safety reports from the country's 19 public maternity units, has uncovered some significant gaps in the reporting of key information by hospitals. The report says that missing information in some of the monthly Maternity Patient Safety Statements (MPSS) reports published by the hospitals involved in the process makes it difficult to form a fair and complete overview of national maternity care. The 13-page review covers 2024 and was conducted by the Irish Patients' Association (IPA), and was submitted to the Health Service Executive. Last week, a review team which examined issues at Portiuncula University Hospital in Galway, recommended that the Government order reviews into other maternity units, to see if similar issues arise. The new IPA review says that if a hospital leaves the "clinical incidents" field blank, the HSE national leadership cannot readily tell from the published data whether that hospital has zero incidents, or simply failed to report. It said that similarly, without year-to date totals from some of the largest maternity hospitals, it is impossible to quickly aggregate total births, or key events rates for the country. Several hospitals left certain fields blank, for example not listing "In Utero Transfers" where the mother is transferred to a specialised neonatal facility, prior to birth. IPA Director Stephen McMahon described the incomplete reports as sloppy and a major concern. The Chief Executive of the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) said there was a lack of transparency, audit, comparability and timeliness with the reports. Krysia Lynch said that the maternity safety statements were a great initiative, to give the public a month on month view of what is going on in the maternity services. But she said it is quite difficult to access some of the statements and some are very out of date and the data is not complete. In the IPA review, it found that several maternity hospitals omitted cumulative year to date figures, which the IPA said impairs the ability to see annual trends. Some hospitals did not report total clinical incidents. There were over 54,000 births in the year under review. These monthly maternity review reports were part of a set of recommendations in 2014, by then Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to ensure early detection of safety issues and to boost accountability. The reports began in 2016. It followed a January 2014 RTÉ Investigations Unit documentary 'Fatal Failures' into the deaths of four babies at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise. In response to the IPA review, the HSE said that it monitors and reviews maternity care at local, regional and national level and that the Maternity Safety Statements are just one of several published methods it uses to provide transparency to the public about maternity services. The HSE acknowledged there remain "gaps in the completeness" of the maternity safety statements and that it has been following up with services to improve the quality of the maternity reports. Towards the end of this year, the HSE said it plans to publish more comprehensive and timely information on maternity care, via the Irish Maternity Indicator System (IMIS) and all of the 19 hospitals will be identified, unlike with previous reports. The Irish Patients' Association said that with more consistent and complete data reporting, and perhaps some future enhancements to metrics, the system can further ensure that mothers and babies nationwide receive the safest care possible "under a watchful, accountable system." Currently, hospitals are asked to report 17 metrics under the MPSS. The IPA said that other data should be added including unexpected transfer of babies to intensive care unit including to other hospitals; lack of oxygen to baby during birth cases and staffing levels/midwife to birth ratio plus patient feedback data. The review has also suggested the collection and publication of other data: postpartum haemorrhage which is a leading case of maternal morbidity, episiotomy rate (surgical cut to assist delivery), vaginal birth after previous Caesarean section which indicates women being given the opportunity for a normal birth after a prior C-section. The HSE said that the Maternity Patient Safety Statement (MSS) is only one of a number of data sets used in maternity care, and that the Irish Maternity Indicator System dataset is used more routinely from a clinical and corporate governance perspective. In its reply to the IPA report, the HSE said the Dublin maternity hospitals not including year to date data figures in their MPSS returns, relates to the fact that they produce very detailed annual reports. The HSE said the Dublin maternity hospitals cross validate all their data before the annual report is published and the validation could contradict the data in the MPSS, if changes have been made subsequent to MPSS publication. The HSE said that there are some missing fields in the MSS reports as well as inconsistent use of zero values. "Obviously the MSS should have been developed with mandatory fields, and only numeric values accepted. We will follow up with the maternity networks to focus on the accuracy of their data," the letter reply of April 22 last to the IPA from Killian McGrane, Director National Women and Infants Health Programme states. The HSE said that during this year, the HSE will be making further changes to maternity data and it hopes to have enhanced maternity metrics in the public domain on a quarterly basis. The HSE also said that the Irish Maternity Indicator System National Reports contain comprehensive data. Currently that IMIS data is anonymised so that individual hospitals are not identified, however the HSE indicated this is due to change during this year.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LA man creates device to deter homeless from sleeping outside his condo — but is it the best solution?
In West Hollywood, a new device called the "Blue Chirper" is stirring controversy as it aims to deter homeless individuals from settling near businesses. Invented by Santa Monica resident Stephen McMahon, the device emits a chirping sound and flashes blue light when it detects motion. McMahon describes it as a non-aggressive deterrent. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) "We're not trying to punish anybody," he told NBC Los Angeles. "We're just trying to divert them." The Blue Chirper, priced at about $400, was developed after McMahon experienced homeless encampments outside his condominium complex's storage area. He also noted a break-in and a neighbor with her infant daughter being assaulted, according to the Los Angeles Times. Local news channel KTLA5 says McMahon has sold about two dozen devices to business owners and residents in various Southern California locations, including the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. In West Hollywood, it was recently placed near a Trader Joe's on Santa Monica Boulevard. While some area residents appreciate the effort to keep sidewalks clear, others find the constant chirping and flashing lights disruptive. 'It's so annoying,' grocery shopper Jeffrey Howard told the Los Angeles Times. 'It's like an alarm from a smoke detector that you're just waiting for somebody to turn off.' Another shopper, Travis Adam Wright, called it a bad look for West Hollywood. It feels like 'a jerk's first response to people living on the street,' he said. The city has received no official complaints, but a code enforcement officer is set to assess the situation. As one local woman pointed out, it may be more impactful to address the root of the issue rather than just one symptom. 'It makes me sad that that's what we're doing to get people to move on. On the other hand, this is someone's business, it's their livelihood,' she told NBC. 'We need just a better solution to the homeless situation.' Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it This local initiative comes amid a national surge in homelessness. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, marking the largest number since data collection began and 19% more than in 2007. Factors contributing to this rise include rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households and a severe shortage of affordable housing, with median rent increasing by 18% since 2020, says the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and a deficit of over 7 million affordable rental homes nationwide, according to National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates. Notably, the baby boomer generation is facing homelessness at unprecedented rates. People aged 65 and older are now the fastest-growing group among the homeless population, with Justice in Aging projections indicating their numbers will peak by 2030. Many in this demographic struggle with rising housing costs on fixed incomes. In fact, in the 2024 HUD report, about one in five people experiencing homelessness on a single night was 55 or older. Almost half of adults in this age group (46%) were experiencing homelessness in "places not meant for human habitation." While a chirper may get rid of people occupying public stairways, it does nothing to address the broader issue at large — and a substantial solution remains to be seen. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chirping device used to keep unhoused from West Hollywood Trader Joe's
A shopping center in West Hollywood has deployed a chirping device to keep the unhoused from a stairwell outside a Trader Joe's store, but it has some upset. KTLA's Gene Kang was outside the Trader Joe's store off of Santa Monica Boulevard, where the chirping could be heard loud and clear during his live report Friday morning. The device mounted above the popular grocery store chain's door makes a cricket or smoke detector-like chirping sound as blue lights continuously flash to keep people from loitering or sleeping in the stairwell. The 'Blue Chirper' is a motion-activated device invented out of frustration by Santa Monica resident Stephen McMahon after a neighbor was attacked by two men. McMahon has since sold about two dozen of the devices to local business owners and residents looking for a 'less-aggressive' way of keeping the unhoused away. Building managers at the plaza where the Trader Joe's is located have reported positive outcomes since the device was put up. However, some say that simply pushing the homeless to a different neighborhood does not help solve the city's problem. West Hollywood officials have said the device undermines the city's homeless outreach efforts and plan to investigate potential noise code violations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
