A successful pilot of Postnatal Hubs, which included Kilkenny, has led to the rollout to other parts of the country.
Designed to provide accessible, multidisciplinary care to women, infants and families in community-based locations, the service includes physiotherapy, health and wellness checks, feeding supports and birth reflections.
They’ve been trialed in maternity units in Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry, Portiuncula and Sligo and now four more will be available for women attending the Coombe, National Maternity Hospital, Rotunda and Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda with further expansion expected later this year.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill launched not just this but also an independent external evaluation report, into the first pilot hubs. The evaluation, commissioned by the Health Service Executive’s National Women’s and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP), found that Postnatal Hubs are functioning as a ‘one-stop-shop’, offering genuine ‘wrap around’ support for women in the postnatal period. The evaluation also describes the pilot hubs as a model for best practice in postnatal care, achieving impressive satisfaction ratings from women.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said; “The expansion of our network of Postnatal Hubs demonstrates our continued commitment to listening to women and embedding women’s voices in policy.
“The first Postnatal Hubs were established as a direct response to the feedback from women in the first National Maternity Experience Survey. Women said that postnatal supports need to be strengthened, and we listened.
“A great amount of work was undertaken by the first five pilot Postnatal Hubs to create a new type of service that responds to this need, and I’m very encouraged by the independent evaluation which highlights the success and impact of the existing hubs. They are clearly bridging a critical gap in postnatal care.
“I am so grateful to the four hospitals for their collaborative spirit in setting up these new hubs, building on a strong foundation of community midwifery.
“An additional four hubs will open later this year, expanding access to these vital services to more women around the country and ensuring a more positive and healthier postnatal experience for both mum and baby.”
National Lead Midwife, NWIHP, Ms Angela Dunne said; “We are delighted to mark the launch of the Phase 2 postnatal hubs, a significant and welcome development for women, babies, and families. The importance of enhanced postnatal care is well recognised, and these community-based hubs provide accessible, multidisciplinary support close to home at a time when many women benefit most from reassurance, connection, and practical support.
“Offering services such as feeding support, birth debriefs, mother and baby checks, physiotherapy, and both one-to-one and group supports, the hubs deliver flexible care that often extends beyond a single postnatal visit. Feedback from women has been overwhelmingly positive, as highlighted in the evaluation report by Deirdre Daly, which found strong satisfaction with the service and a clear call for more hubs and extended access to supports.
“This launch strengthens the growing national network of hubs and reflects a shared commitment to improving postnatal care and outcomes for families across the country. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Department of Health and colleagues across acute and community services to maintain this momentum and build on the strong foundations now in place.”
