HSE and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital staff at the opening of the Bettystown postnatal hub.
A new HSE Postnatal Hub has opened in Bettystown, Co Meath, bringing essential postnatal care closer to home for women and families across Meath, Louth and Monaghan. The new community-based facility forms part of the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda Postnatal Hub Service and is one of six locations providing structured support to new mothers following the birth of their babies.
The development of the Bettystown hub forms part of the HSE’s wider programme to strengthen women’s health services and expand community-based care. It supports the National Maternity Strategy, the work of the National Women and Infants Health Programme, and the wider Sláintecare objective of delivering more care in local communities, in the right place and at the right time.
The service also reflects what women have said matters most in the postnatal period. Feedback through the National Maternity Experience Survey has highlighted the importance of continuity of care, accessible community supports and better postnatal follow-up after discharge from hospital.
Speaking ahead of the opening, Paddy Clerkin, Integrated Healthcare Manager for Louth Meath, said:
“The opening of the Bettystown Postnatal Hub is an important step forward for women and families across Louth, Meath and Monaghan. It means that more women can access dedicated postnatal support in their own community, at a time when that support can make a real difference.
“We know the weeks after birth can be joyful, but they can also be physically and emotionally demanding. This service is designed to ensure women feel supported, listened to and cared for after they leave the hospital.
“This is also part of a much broader commitment across the HSE to strengthen women’s health services and to provide more care closer to home. I want to acknowledge the work of the multidisciplinary teams, clinicians, managers and community partners who have made this service possible.”
Women are routinely offered a dedicated midwife-led appointment between three and six weeks after the birth of their baby. The appointment includes a comprehensive postnatal review, an opportunity to discuss their birth experience, access to birth reflection, and personalised care from a midwife with access to their maternity records.
The service also includes physiotherapy assessment and support, as well as referral pathways to specialist and community-based services where needed. This model of care is designed to support women’s physical recovery, emotional wellbeing, and access to practical advice and follow-up in the weeks after birth.
The Bettystown hub builds on a wider national programme of postnatal hub development, supported through national women’s health investment and informed by evidence from pilot hubs and service evaluation. It reflects the HSE’s ongoing commitment to improving maternity care and ensuring women and families can access high-quality, person-centred postnatal care in welcoming community settings
