The National Maternity Hospital is one of Dublin’s three principal public maternity hospitals, serving the inner and south city since its establishment in 1884. The hospital currently delivers in excess of 9,000 babies per annum and has developed its clinical services over the years to become a major tertiary referral centre for the specialties of obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology.
One in eight babies in Ireland is born in the National Maternity Hospital, and it is the largest maternity hospital in Europe. NMH is a key tertiary referral centre for the country and looks after mothers and infants referred from every maternity hospital and unit in the State. There were over 2,500 admissions to the Neonatal Unit in 2011.
The National Maternity Hospital serves as a key location for our teaching in obstetrics and gynaecology during the final or penultimate years of our medicine degree programme.
This six-week module is designed to build on earlier exposure to reproductive physiology and obstetric gynaecological and neonatal history-taking and examination and to introduce students to pathological aspects of reproduction and management. The module incorporates rotation through affiliated teaching hospitals (Coombe Womens' & Infants' University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street).
These are linked by daily teleconferenced teaching contacts, interspersed with in-patient ward, operating theatre, neonatal units and outpatient clinics. Emphasis is placed on student-delivered tutorial formats, performance of practical clinical procedures (including normal vaginal delivery) and clinical demonstrations, as well as theoretical lectures.
Dr Rhona Mahony (UCD Graduate 1994) became Ireland’s first female Master in January 2012. A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a specialist in fetal and maternal medicine, Dr Mahony's research interests include pelvic floor injuries following childbirth, maternal weight gain and fetal macrosomia.
“I am deeply conscious of the rich heritage and proud history earned by the hospital. At Holles Street, we care for some of the youngest and smallest citizens of the State and it is this expertise that has helped position Ireland at the forefront internationally as a recognised world leader in obstetrics and child birth."