Cork University Maternity Hospital becomes first hospital to offer free period care to staff

WORKING shifts in a busy hospital environment means you can’t just pop out to the shop and buy pads or tampons when you get your period at work, which is why access to period products is essential, and it’s great that this has been recognised at the Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).

That’s according to labour ward midwife Siobhan Clancy who was speaking after the CUMH partnered with Cork-based company We Are Riley to provide free period care to staff, becoming the first hospital in the country to commit to making a more comfortable workplace for their staff.

As part of a pledge to promote more sustainable solutions, Ireland South recently partnered with Riley to offer eco-friendly, toxin-free period care and are also seeking sustainable options for other products through their partnership with Health Innovation Hub Ireland.

“After receiving such positive feedback from staff, the products were made available to all staff across Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate. The Group embraces the maternity and neonatal units of University Hospital Waterford, Tipperary University Hospital, University Hospital Kerry and Cork University Maternity Hospital,” said a hospital spokesperson.

Dr Mairead O’Riordan, Clinical Director, CUMH, emphasised the importance of menstrual health in the overall well-being and productivity of staff.

“At CUMH, we prioritise the health and well-being of our staff, especially regarding women’s health. 

It is the very nature of the service we provide.

“This is not just a basic, necessary gesture, but a substantial positive impact on our staff’s well-being. We understand the disruption periods can cause, especially when period products are not easily accessible in a fast-paced environment. Riley, a Cork-based, female-founded, innovative organisation providing sustainable period care, is the perfect partner for CUMH in this endeavour,” she said.

We Are Riley, an eco-friendly period product company, was founded in Schull, West Cork in 2021 by three friends, Aine Kilkenny, Fiona Parfey, and Lauren Duggan. It was an idea conceived in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its mission is to ensure period products do as little damage to our environment as possible by bringing periods into the 21st century. It was founded on the belief that people deserve a healthy, sustainable solution to their period that also fits their lifestyle. Selling their homes and other businesses to fund the project, the three women went all in and quit full-time jobs to focus on Riley.

Driven to make the lives of menstruators better, the aim is to make superior period care products more accessible to everybody and the business continues to go from strength to strength.

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate on this extremely exciting initiative. 

Having one of Ireland’s leaders in women’s health partnering with riley just highlights the importance around making eco-friendly period care freely and easily accessible in hospital environments.

“We highly commend the CUMH for being the first large hospital in Ireland to roll out this initiative with Riley.

“Hopefully this partnership helps other organisations to recognise that menstrual health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being and can directly impact productivity and how their staff members might feel at work,” said Lauren.

Siobhan added: “I am delighted that Riley is the supplier of choice; they are female-led, sustainable, and local. It makes sense for us to support them.”