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Speaking following today's Southern Trust Board Meeting in Newry, MLA Justin McNulty said that the Southern Trust must rebuild confidence and reassure families and communities that the full suite of maternity services will be secured now and for the future at Daisy Hill Hospital. Speaking during a discussion on the provision of Obstetric and Gynaecology services at the meeting in Monaghan Row, the Newry and Armagh representative spoke of his admiration and respect for the Trust's Midwifery teams.
"We all have huge admiration and respect for our midwifery teams, not only in Daisy Hill Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital, for their care, for their compassion and for their professionalism. We all can identify with them and when we think about them, we all have a huge grá. We have a glow in our hearts for them, and this is worth saying."
Mr McNulty pointed out that Forty percent of births in the Southern Trust are at Daisy Health Hospital. "The birth rate in this area is bucking the trend. It's higher than any other area across the north so that's a major factor for consideration. I am here to say firmly that every effort possible has to be made to secure the full suite of maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital."
Speaking about diversions last year when mothers and babies were diverted from Newry to Craigavon the MLA added "Concerns were raised after the diverts were put in place, which it's notable, the health minister was not fully abreast with or in agreement with the approach adopted. There was a huge sense of shock, fear and a huge sense of anger that penetrated right into the communities around Newry, south Armagh and south Down but more fundamentally, there was a visceral sense of sadness that no longer would people be born and bred in their local area. That cannot be allowed to happen."
"Withdrawal of maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital cannot be a fait accompli, as we experienced with the withdrawal of emergency general surgery from our hospital, whereby a consultation process was put in place and the results of that and outcome of that consultation were just ignored. There are also the realities that senior midwifery clinicians have approached me with their sense of fear about the safety of mothers and babies if they are turned away from the door at Daisy Hill and diverted to Craigavon and the risk to life."
Mr McNulty concluded "There was a huge public outcry after withdrawal of emergency general surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital. That will not compare to what the strength of feeling is in communities around potential withdrawal of maternity services from our hospital."
In reply Cathrine Reid, Director of Surgery & Clinical Services spoke of workforce challenges both nationally and regionally "In terms of recruitment, we have three vacant Consultant posts, two in Daisy Hill and one in Craigavon. We currently have two applicants for those posts, and interviews will be held on the 17th of February."
Ms Reid pointed out that in two rounds of midwifery recruitment 12 were appointed in the first round and 30 candidates were successful in the second round for 15 posts with a waiting list created.
She added "the sickness level in Daisy Hill has now reduced to 11%. We do still have some areas of concern around our consultant cover and the level in Daisy Hill, which means that we are reliant on locums both in hours and out of hours."
Also replying to Mr McNulty's comments Eileen Mullan, Chair of the Southern Health & Social Care Trust said 'our role here is the provision of safe care for the babies and for the mothers, and for women's health, and that's really, really, really important. We've some 5000 births right across the Trust, and that's what we have to focus on, and how that can be done in a sustainable, safe way, and the model for the future."
Speaking via a weblink MLA Liz Kimmins commended efforts made in the last few months "I think it's very positive to hear that things have been stabilised in the way they have, obviously acknowledging that we still have concerns regarding the availability of consultants, but I think that's an issue right across the north and also in other jurisdictions. However, I think it's commendable that the significant efforts that have been made over the last number of months, particularly when we see the strengthening of the midwifery workforce. So I certainly hope that augers well for the future, and also to hear that there is forward planning in terms of trainees coming out and you know, even the waiting list for Midwifery, I think that certainly will give confidence, both to staff in Daisy Hill and indeed Craigavon but also to women across the area."
