Write a comment
MLA Liz Kimmins has called on the Health Minister to do all he can to address what she described as an immediate crisis facing maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. The Newry and Armagh representative said the fragility of the service had been clear for some time, pointing to the temporary redirection to Craigavon in June.
Kimmins said she had been working with the Southern Trust, Health Ministers and the local community for months to find a safe solution, and that every effort must now be made to recruit the clinical staff needed, including support from other Trusts and, where possible, across the island of Ireland.
She raised serious concerns about capacity and access for women in Newry, South Armagh and South Down should services be relocated to Craigavon, warning that in an obstetric emergency, distance can be the difference between life and death.
Kimmins praised the Daisy Hill maternity team for continuing to provide what she called exceptional care in extremely difficult circumstances, saying they deserved full support. She said the Health Minister, his Department and the Southern Trust must now do all they can to protect maternity services and ensure the safety of mothers and babies across the region, adding that mothers and babies in Newry, South Armagh and South Down deserved nothing less. She concluded: "I will continue speaking up for them and ensure they have the best possible care at Daisy Hill."
