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Residing in Kilkeel, a woman shared with BBC News NI that the reassignment of maternity services to a facility approximately 45 minutes away has brought about increased travel time, additional work absences, and heightened anxiety. She expressed disappointment at the closure of the maternity unit at her local hospital, describing it as a “kick in the teeth” given her positive experiences there. She praised the kindness of the staff and the quality of the maternity unit, adding that she would be saddened to see it close.
Her journey to the newly designated Craigavon Area Hospital would almost double in duration compared to her previous visits. Having had several scans at Craigavon before, she noted the inconvenient hour-and-a-half travel time, compounded by difficulties with parking that included circling for 40 minutes before entering. She described the change as a significant disruption, particularly worrying in case of emergencies, recalling complications during a prior delivery that made the distance a serious concern.
Another expectant mother, Eimear McVerry, 28 weeks pregnant and recently returned from Australia, spoke about the inconvenience of the move, especially since she is only 15 minutes from Daisy Hill Hospital. Like her mother, she had planned to give birth at Daisy Hill and was taken aback by the news, which she learned of only recently. Eimear expressed sadness at having to start anew in an unfamiliar environment, after growing accustomed to the previous staff and facilities. Her mother Jolene echoed these sentiments, emphasizing Daisy Hill’s long-standing presence in the community and lamenting the difficulties the relocation presents for women going into labour, particularly in cases of unexpected or premature births.
BBC News NI has reported that Daisy Hill Hospital’s maternity unit has increasingly depended on locum and temporary staff. The trust responsible for the hospital indicated that it is currently unable to provide a safe maternity service without the necessary medical personnel. Consequently, while antenatal and postnatal clinics are expected to continue in Newry, arrangements for deliveries are scheduled to shift elsewhere starting in November. Steve Spoerry, the chief executive of the trust, revealed that the health minister has requested the Northern Ireland health system to explore long-term support options to maintain services in Newry. Spoerry suggested in an interview on BBC Evening Extra that the maternity service would “more likely than not” be relocated from Daisy Hill.
Data from the past year show that 4,481 babies were born across the Southern Trust’s two maternity facilities, with 1,713 deliveries at Daisy Hill Hospital and 2,768 at Craigavon Area Hospital. Clodagh Corrigan, a consultant at Daisy Hill and deputy chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, highlighted a critical workforce crisis affecting many healthcare specialties in the region. She criticized the Department of Health for a longstanding failure in workforce planning and pointed to similar challenges at hospitals such as South West Acute in Enniskillen and Causeway in Coleraine. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme, Corrigan stressed that repeated warnings from health professionals have gone unheeded. She also noted the significant outflow of staff to the Republic of Ireland, attracted by better pay, improved conditions, enhanced service environments, and a more favorable work-life balance
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