Inpatient maternity care will halt at Daisy Hill Hospital on 23 November, transferring all planned deliveries to Craigavon Hospital. The trust board sanctioned the operational shift after recruitment failed, leaving only two permanent consultants available against a required total of eight. Although outpatient antenatal and postnatal care will remain operational in Newry, concerns persist over whether Craigavon can accommodate approximately 1,700 displaced births annually.
Key points
Expectant mothers will be directed to Craigavon Hospital through a centralised telephone…: Expectant mothers will be directed to Craigavon Hospital through a centralised telephone triage service and dedicated assigned midwives.
Outpatient antenatal and postnatal appointments will continue locally at Daisy Hill despi…: Outpatient antenatal and postnatal appointments will continue locally at Daisy Hill despite the cessation of active inpatient birth services.
Regional leadership maintains the controversial service suspension is essential because r…: Regional leadership maintains the controversial service suspension is essential because running two distinct maternity units is currently medically unsafe.
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Inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill hospital in Newry will be temporarily suspended from 23 November.
Southern Health Trust board members have voted in favour a proposal to move the services to Craigavon hospital, as the trust says it has been unable to recruit enough consultant obstetricians to safely staff both hospitals.
There has been significant opposition to the consolidation plan from people in Newry and further afield, including South Down and South Armagh - and it's now subject to a legal challenge.
A 40-year-old pregnant woman is to lodge judicial review papers at the High Court on Tuesday afternoon to attempt to force the trust to delay the implementation of the plan.
While the move has been described as temporary, there is currently no time-frame on the restoration of services at Daisy Hill.
The Trust has said it does not want to be in this position but it has exhausted all recruitment attempts.
It needs eight substantive consultants - from the end of this month it will have two, plus three locum consultants.
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