ABC Councillor makes call to keep maternity services at Daisy Hill

Councillor Bronagh Haughey has raised concerns over the potential closure of maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry at a full meeting of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council on Monday night 28 September. She proposed that the council write to the Health Minister asking him to outline his plan for retaining the service.

Tonight 1 October there is a Save Daisy Hill Hospital public meeting in the Canal Court Hotel at 7pm.

Cllr Haughey said it was necessary to raise the issue at the meeting. She acknowledged that although ABC council sits close to Craigavon Area Hospital closure at Daisy Hill would have a dreadful impact on people living in the area through the loss of services. She also pointed to the added pressure on Craigavon if maternity services were diverted there.

She described the Daisy Hill service as "so utterly needed by women and babies here". She also said it is a busy and successful service, staffed by an excellent and committed group of people.

Cllr Haughey said the situation now facing the hospital could be existential for Daisy Hill, which she said has had to fight harder than most for service retention, investment and support. She said: "No one has ever questioned the absolute value of Daisy Hill hospital, but it always seems to be the last to get and the first to lose."

On patient safety, she said: "It could be a matter of life and death for expectant mothers and their babies. This is a matter of patient safety, above all else."

She added: "What we need to hear now are the solutions being explored by the Trust, the Department and the Minister." She also said: "Expectant mothers having to travel to Craigavon is not good enough."

Cllr Haughey went on to say: "There is an absolute need to maintain maternity services at Daisy Hill. There is a real and inescapable fear that any temporary movement of provision will become permanent and that this will have a knock on effect for other services at Daisy Hill, namely anaesthetics."

She concluded: "Solutions are there to be found and implemented. The women and babies of this area deserve no less."