Representatives of two Belfast maternity hospitals are continuing to argue their case for survival in the face of government plans to establish one regional unit.

Officials from the Royal Victoria Hospital in the west of the city and Jubilee Maternity Hospital, near the city centre, will meet the Northern Ireland Assembly's health committee.

Committee members want to hear from both sides before deciding at which hospital the maternity service should be located.

Members of both hospital trusts have been invited to attend a private meeting, along with people who have campaigned on behalf of each hospital.

The committee's decision is expected to go to the Health Minister Bairbre de Brun by Thursday.

It is thought Ms de Brun will announce a decision by the end of this month.

BBC NI Health Correspondent Dot Kirby said: "It's arguably the most controversial and high profile decision any local minister has had to make so far.



"It's certainly one which has dogged the health service for years .

"A decision is needed soon as the City Hospital want to know if they can clear the site of the Jubilee maternity unit and build a new cancer centre for Northern Ireland."

The meeting comes a day after the Eastern Health Board decided to move a unit which cares for sick and premature babies from Belfast City Hospital to the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Opted for new unit

Some people saw this as pre-empting a future decision over maternity services.

The government had opted for a new maternity hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital, which would have meant the closure of the Jubilee maternity unit.

But last June a group of mothers, known as the Jubilee Action Group, successfully prevented its closure.

A High Court judge ruled that the government had not adequately consulted with mothers before taking its decision.

In July the Department of Health ordered a fresh consultation period and this ended late last year.