Taylor presses Trust over maternity crisis

Slieve Gullion Councillor David Taylor has outlined serious concerns over today's Southern Trust statement on medical workforce pressures within inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital. Councillor Taylor said the news was deeply concerning for expectant mothers, staff and the community, and said the priority must be to retain the service. "This is deeply concerning news for expectant mothers, staff and the entire community served by Daisy Hill Hospital," he said. "The clear priority must be to try to retain inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill."

Cllr Taylor said he had already raised the seriousness of the situation directly with Health Minister Robbie Butler, and welcomed his intervention to ensure every reasonable option for securing the necessary medical cover was fully explored. He said this included a clear expectation not only on the Southern Trust, but on all Trusts in Northern Ireland to work together to try to find a regional resolution.

He said the Southern Trust must now explain how the situation had developed so quickly. "The Southern Trust must now provide a full and frank explanation of how the service so quickly reached such a precarious position," he said. "The local community deserves full transparency on what action has been taken to date and why previous recruitment efforts have not succeeded."

Cllr Taylor said he would be seeking an urgent meeting with the Southern Trust to scrutinise its workforce planning, recruitment efforts and proposed contingency arrangements. He said he would also be seeking clear commitments on other services remaining at Daisy Hill, and, in the event of births being redirected to Craigavon, what conditions and timescale would apply to restoring inpatient maternity care, and how any temporary arrangement would be prevented from becoming permanent by default.

"Daisy Hill is a vital hospital serving a large and geographically dispersed population," he said. "I will continue pressing the Trust to ensure that no stone is left unturned in securing the future of its inpatient maternity service."