Antenatal classes hit by HSE cutbacks

THERE will be no more antenatal classes at Shannon Health Centre after the end of this month.
The classes have been held in Shannon Health Centre for many years but the HSE has announced the service will be a victim of cutbacks.
In a statement on Wednesday, the HSE said, “Antenatal classes will be discontinued in Shannon Health Centre from October 1 next. This is one of many cost-containment measures made necessary by our financial position. The HSE was €20 million in excess of its allocated budget for the Mid-West at the end of June. The Government has repeatedly made it plain that budgets must be adhered to and no further funding is available.
“It is proposed that the women/couples who would normally attend in Shannon will now attend the classes in Ennis or Limerick, which will enable us to maximize the use of scarce resources. We regret any inconvenience caused but hope the public will understand the reasons for the decision.”
According to the HSE, there are usually nine to 12 couples per class.
Shannon Town Councillor, Mary Brennan works at the Shannon Health Centre and said it is a pity the service is going. “The implications will extend further than Shannon. People from Newmarket and Sixmilebridge and other places used to attend. It was a very busy service. It was on every Tuesday evening at 6.30pm. It had been going on for at least 18 years.”
She said the service gave mothers-to-be an idea of what was ahead of them and gave them a chance to talk to other people in the same position.
“I’m sure that for people who used it and had plans to use it, it will be a big loss. For first-time parents the whole experience can be very daunting and for them it was great to go and meet other first-time parents and learn about what’s going to happen.
“It was very good to talk to professionals and they would find out what was happening. It was also very good from a social point of view,” she said.
Her fellow councillor, Patricia McCarthy is also disappointed about the loss of the service.
“The service was working very well. It’s very important that women look after their health while they’re pregnant but this is going to make it more difficult for them. I don’t know how there isn’t an inquiry into the state of services in this region. Unless you’re using them, you wouldn’t realise the extent of how bad they are gone,” she concluded.