Speaking after a recent board meeting of the NI Local Commissioning Group, Newry Mourne and Down District Councillor Dermot Curran, who was appointed by former Health Minister Edwin Poots, explained to Down News that he was “concerned” about the future of the midwifery-led unit (MLU) at the Downe Hospital.
He said: “The Board has called for a review of all maternity services and the report will be tabled early in 2016.
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Use it or lose it: Councillor Dermot Curran has expressed a concern for the future of the Downe midwife-led unit and has called on the Trust, local mums-to-be and GP’s to back it.[/caption]
“It is my view that with declining births in the Downpatrick midwifery-led unit in the Downe Hospital that in a year’s time we will be in trouble. The Downe Hospital cannot afford to lose such a vital service.
“My understanding is that the numbers have been declining and if that is the case it will be very difficult to argue for the sustainability of the unit.
“It raises the question of how many mothers wish to have their babies in Downpatrick. The new unit is state-of-the-art and should be a great place to give birth. Mothers with complications etc will obviously be referred to the Belfast maternity units where there are consultants on hand, but we do need to ensure that the Downe hospital continues to prove it is viable.
“In these times of economic cutbacks and austerity it will just be too difficult to argue the case to retain the maternity unit. The South Eastern HSC Trust must do what it can to promote this midwife-led unit before it too becomes a victim of our economic times. It would be good too if local GP’s in fact encouraged mums-to-be to use the Downe option. It really is a question of ‘use it or lose it’.
A spokesperson for the South Eastern HSC Trust said: “We plan to do some marketing around the MLU in the Downe Hospital this summer. The MLU was opened in Downpatrick on the 22 March 2010, and was the first stand-alone unit in Northern Ireland. This is an integrated service providing community midwifery care from Carryduff to Newcastle as well as the Midwifery-Led Unit in Downpatrick.
“The MLU service continues to evolve and has adapted to an on-call model to provide midwifery cover for births within the MLU and home births from 2000hrs to 08-00hrs. As the service grows we shall revisit our model of care and adapt accordingly. “
Number of births per year at the Downe Hospital MLU * Â 2010/2011 – 55 * Â 2011/2012 – 82 * Â 2012/2013 – 101 * Â 2013/2014 – 74 * Â 2014/2015 – 67
Downpatrick Maternity Services comprises of the following hospital and community based services:- * Â Community-based Antenatal and Postnatal care * Â Home birthing service
Downe Midwifery Led Unit * Â Antenatal Booking Clinics* Â Midwives booking scans
* Â Midwives Antenatal Review Clinics.
A Weekly Consultant Antenatal Review Clinic Day Assessment Service. Parentcraft Sessions/ Active Birth Workshops/Breastfeeding groups
The service also provides antenatal and postnatal care to the HMS Prison Service. Approximate Activity for MLU integrated service per year Antenatal services- 4000 women Postnatal services- 4300 women Births within the Downe midwifery led unit]]>
