Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
Maternity care at Daisy Hill may move to Craigavon from 23 November
A health trust plans to move births and inpatient maternity care from Daisy Hill to Craigavon from 23 November.
Daisy Hill serves the Newry area in Northern Ireland, and the trust says it has five vacant consultant obstetrician posts.
It says there are not enough consultants to safely staff both hospitals’ maternity units during the day and overnight.
The trust is still trying to recruit consultants, but its chief executive told Stormont’s Health Committee that the transfer is highly probable.
Mothers in the Newry area say longer journeys could make urgent care harder to reach, especially in rural areas.
One mother described travelling during contractions and said Craigavon had no room for her that night; the trust says it is preparing to accommodate births and inpatient care there.
The trust is preparing to temporarily move births and inpatient maternity care from Daisy Hill to Craigavon from 23 November.
It says it cannot provide a safe maternity service at Daisy Hill without the required medical cover.
The trust has five vacant obstetrician posts and says it cannot staff both units’ daytime and out-of-hours rotas.
Mothers in the Newry area say losing local inpatient services could mean longer journeys when urgent care is needed.
The trust says keeping women and babies safe is its highest priority.
- Who
- The trust plans the temporary consolidation; mothers in the Newry area oppose losing local inpatient maternity care.
- What
- Births and inpatient maternity care may move from Daisy Hill to Craigavon.
- When
- From 23 November.
- Where
- Daisy Hill and Craigavon in Northern Ireland.
- Why
- The trust says it lacks the consultant cover needed to safely staff both maternity units.
The trust
Mothers in the Newry area
Safety and staffing
The trust
The trust says it cannot safely provide maternity care at Daisy Hill without the required medical cover.
Mothers in the Newry area
Mothers say local inpatient services matter, especially when families need urgent care.
Proposed response
The trust
The trust is preparing to consolidate births and inpatient maternity care at Craigavon.
Mothers in the Newry area
Seanan Martin says removing a service is not the answer and that workforce challenges should have been planned for years in advance.
The BBC reported that the trust was preparing to temporarily consolidate births and inpatient maternity care at Craigavon.
The planned date for the temporary consolidation to begin.
- Vacant obstetrician posts
- 5
- Planned start
- 23 November
- Daisy Hill
- Current maternity service site
- Craigavon
- Planned site for temporarily consolidated births and inpatient maternity care
What people are saying
keeping women and babies safe was its highest priority
What does it say if a woman can't give birth in her own city?
removing a service was not the answer