A Newry and Armagh MP has shared his own personal “devastation” that his baby will not be born in Daisy Hill Hospital after it was announced that maternity services would be moved to Craigavon.
Sinn Féin’s Dáire Hughes has been a longstanding adovcate and campaigner for the protection of all services within the Newry hospital.
And as he and his wife prepare to welcome a new addition in January, the MP has spoken of their shared disappointment that the birth will not happen in their home hospital.
On Tuesday (November 3), the Southern Trust confirmed that inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill are to be temporarily consolidated at Craigavon Area Hospital from Monday November 23.
The MP said: “My wife is expecting our first child and is due in early January. It was our firm hope that she would give birth in Daisy Hill.
“We are devastated by the decision to temporarily remove inpatient maternity services from our local hospital.”
He said over recent months attending appointments within the hospital, the care has been “exceptional”, adding, “beyond their professionalism, local maternity staff are pure Newry. Their humour, bluntness and craic have eased every situation, especially when very nervous fathers-to-be are getting in the way. I can’t put in to words how grateful we are for their continued efforts.”
The prospect of their child being born beyond the city lines “really hurts”, said Mr Hughes and he understands that it feels the same for many others.
“I also know there are expectant mothers in a much more challenging position than my wife,” he added. “I know there are expectant mothers across Newry & Armagh who have greater medical need, live further away from Craigavon, have other children or caring responsibilities and who may not have the same level of family support.
“We also know that in an obstetric emergency there is no such thing as a safe journey time and that concerns about Craigavon’s capacity and the availability of ambulance cover are real.
“That’s why I’ve described this saga as causing intolerable stress and anxiety for expectant mothers and their families, and why we’ve been consistent on the need to keep Daisy Hill delivering.”
Mr Hughes stressed “this isn’t the end. We will not give up. Temporary must mean temporary, and very temporary at that.”
This sentiment was echoed in a statement from UNISON.
The union has demanded governing bodies come up with a “credible plan” to return maternity services to Newry’s Daisy Hill Hospital after more than 13,000 opposed the move to Craigavon.
UNISON has called on the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and the Department of Health to provide a credible, time-bound plan for the return of consultant-led maternity services to Daisy Hill Hospital.
Addressing the Southern Trust Board on Tuesday 3rd November, UNISON Regional Organiser James Large presented the Trust with a petition containing over 13,000 signatures opposing the transfer of maternity services from Daisy Hill to Craigavon Area Hospital.
Commenting following the Board meeting, UNISON Regional Organiser James Large said: “Over 13,000 people have signed our petition, and thousands have taken to the streets to defend maternity services at Daisy Hill. The strength of feeling amongst our members and the wider community could not be clearer.
“We have heard the word ‘temporary’ before in our health service. Unfortunately, temporary all too often becomes permanent by default. The people of Newry, South Armagh and South Down deserve honesty about the future of their maternity services.
“If this move is genuinely temporary, then the Trust and Department of Health must produce a credible, time-bound plan for their return. That means clear milestones, a workforce plan and accountability for delivering it. Warm words and vague assurances are simply not good enough.
“Rural needs and the needs of rural communities must be central to decisions about healthcare provision. Women and families should not face increasingly long journeys to access essential maternity services simply because of where they live. Centralising services cannot become the default response to failures in workforce planning.
“Our members also need certainty about their futures. Staff who have dedicated their working lives to Daisy Hill deserve to know when they will return to their substantive base. They cannot be left in limbo indefinitely, with no clear indication of when services will be restored.
“The workforce challenges facing maternity services did not arise overnight. They require serious intervention, investment, and long-term planning, not the continued removal of services from local hospitals.
“UNISON will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our members and the thousands of people across the community who have made their voices heard.
“The Trust and Department of Health must now demonstrate that their commitment to a temporary move is genuine.
“Temporary must mean temporary. We need honesty, we need a credible plan, and we need a clear timeline for the return of maternity services to Daisy Hill Hospital.”
As it stands, from Monday, November 23, all births and inpatient maternity care currently provided at Daisy Hill will transfer to Craigavon, after the Trust said it had been unable to secure enough consultant obstetricians to safely staff the Newry unit.
The decision was approved at a public Trust Board meeting on Tuesday, November 3, following consideration of the “current workforce position” and continuity plans to maintain safe care.
Yesterday, it was also announced that Phoenix Law’s Human Rights Lawyers have initiated legal action against the Southern Area Trust following their decision to remove maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to Craigavon Area Hospital.
Jack Murphy, who acts for a local expectant mother, has said: “We have initiated this legal action following the large public demonstration in Newry from all those who hope to retain services at Daisy Hill Hospital.
“We have heard from many persons in the Newry, South Armagh and South Down areas who have relied on Daisy Hill Hospital to deliver this vital service. Our client herself fears the fact that she is now expected to travel to Craigavon should she go into labour.
“Many parents have stepped forward to explain how this journey was not feasible in their time of need.”
