Jul
30
Friday
| Workshop 3 a.m. - Ireland |
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Workshop 3 Ireland – Routine Enquiry in Maternity Hospitals – Mary Higgins It is well documented that pregnancy may be a trigger for the start of domestic abuse or if it is already a factor in the relationship, it may increase. It is devastating for the woman and even before birth the baby also suffers the effects of the abuse. The Division of Obstetrics Gynaecology and Neonatology in the Unified Maternity Services accepted the recommendations from the CEMACH report and asked Dearbhla NÍ Riordan and myself to proceed. We decided to set up a committee that could develop a policy on responding to women who experience domestic abuse during pregnancy and oversee its implementation and continuance. The workshop will focus on the background to the introduction of routine enquiry, the difficulties experienced in implementing the policy and the ongoing efforts to ensure that women who attend for maternity care at Cork University Maternity Hospital are asked about domestic abuse. Downloads Workshop Notes >> PRESENTER BIOGRAPHY Mary Higgins Mary is Assistant Director of Midwifery at Cork University Maternity Hospital. She has represented the Division of Obstetrics on the Southern Regional Committee for Violence Against Women from 2002 until it was dissolved in 2008. Together with colleagues in midwifery and social work, she is responsible for the development and implementation of a domestic abuse policy that included routine enquiry in the maternity service. Mary is involved with the initial and ongoing education programmes for all grades of staff within the hospital. |