Newry Workers Party Comments On Daisy Hill Maternity

Newry and Armagh Workers Party Discusses The Issues Of The Daisy Hill Maternity Closure Threat

Nicola Grant Talks On The Daisy Hill maternity Issue

Nicola Grant said: “I attended the SOS Daisy Hill and UNISON public meeting on the proposed temporary removal of inpatient maternity services from Daisy Hill Hospital to Craigavon Area Hospital, as a Workers’ Party representative for Newry and Armagh.

“The number of people who came out tonight showed just how significant this issue is to the people of Newry, South Armagh, South Down and the surrounding rural communities.

“The message from the meeting was clear, people value Daisy Hill maternity services and have serious concerns about what the proposed transfer would mean for women, babies and families.

“Last year, 1,713 babies were born at Daisy Hill. Those are not just statistics. Behind every number is a woman, a baby and a family and for many families, maternity care can represent either one of the happiest or one of the most difficult and traumatic periods of their lives.

“We also heard concerns about the capacity already being placed on Craigavon Area Hospital. If 1,713 births are to be transferred there, the Southern Trust must explain clearly how that additional pressure will be managed and, most importantly, how the safety of women and babies will be guaranteed.

“The Minister has also said that any contingency plan must demonstrate sufficient capacity at Craigavon and address the travel and transport implications for women and families.”

There are also serious questions around access Nichola added.

“For women from Newry, South Armagh, South Down and rural communities, travelling to Craigavon in labour is not simply a matter of adding a few miles to a journey. It can mean additional time, cost, uncertainty and anxiety at a moment when a woman should be concentrating on bringing her baby safely into the world.

“We also need answers about consultant staffing.

“The Southern Trust has said the issue is linked to consultant obstetrician retirements and resignations and that, despite recruitment efforts, it has not secured sufficient consultants.

“So the question has to be: what more is the Southern Trust doing to recruit and retain the consultants needed to provide a safe, sustainable maternity service at Daisy Hill?“

“And if this is genuinely temporary, what safeguards are being put in place now to ensure that temporary does not become permanent?”asked Nicola.

She added: “We have heard the word ‘temporary’ before when services have been moved or suspended. The people of this area are entitled to clear guarantees, a transparent process and a proper explanation of what conditions would have to be met for maternity services and births to return to Daisy Hill.

“The Minister has stated that a temporary arrangement should not become permanent by default.

“And there is also a wider issue here about the continued pressure being placed on our public health service and the impact that decisions like this have on working-class families. 

“There is also serious concern about how this situation has been handled. We heard that many staff learned about the proposed removal of inpatient maternity services through media reports rather than directly from the Southern Trust.

“It is difficult to understand how journalists could be informed before the workers whose jobs and livelihoods are directly affected.

“These are not just employees on a payroll. They are people with children to support, mortgages to pay and families to care for. They now find themselves facing uncertainty about their future, without having been given the courtesy of being informed properly in the first instance.

“Staff deserve better than being left in limbo while hearing major service announcements through the media.

“When services are moved further away, the cost does not disappear. It can mean additional fuel costs, parking, childcare, time off work and greater pressure on families who are already struggling with the cost-of-living.

“Healthcare should be accessible to the communities it serves. It should not become increasingly difficult for ordinary working people to access essential services.

“Tonight was a very important meeting, with some excellent speakers and a strong turnout from the community.

“Well done to UNISON and the SOS Daisy Hill Committee for bringing people together and keeping this issue firmly in the public eye.

The people of Newry and the surrounding communities have made their concerns very clear.

“Daisy Hill maternity matters.”

Nicola Grant
Workers Party Newry.