The Maternity Services Directorate carries responsibility for maternity and neonatal services across the South West region.
These services are delivered through four hospitals, University Hospital Kerry, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Tipperary University Hospital and University Hospital Waterford.
The Directorate is led by the Director for Maternity Services (Professor John R. Higgins).
Our Primary Academic partner is University College Cork (UCC).
We offer a wide range of educational programmes and conduct research within all the hospitals in the Group.
Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE, on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.
Each Health Region will be tasked with population specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population.
This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance, while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.
Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:
· Integrated, locally planned and delivered
· Easier to access and navigate
· Available closer to home
Health Regions are geographically-based units with clearly defined populations.
They align community and hospital services within specific areas.
The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation, with more service provision developed at a local level.
The HSE South West health region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry.
HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.
This includes:
· South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG
· Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH
The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region.
Services in the South West health region HSE Services working within this region include:
· Acute Hospitals
· Primary care services
· Community services
· Social care services
· Health and social care professionals
· Voluntary sector services
South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare will become part of HSE South West health region from 3rd March, 2025.