'My son might not have survived without Daisy Hill maternity service'

A mother-of-two who suffered a severe placental abruption during her last pregnancy has said her baby "might not have survived" had there been a delay in getting to hospital.

Kara Finnegan, who had an emergency Caesarean section in May last year, has criticised the planned suspension of maternity services at her local hospital.

It has been reported that no babies will be delivered at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry if the temporary suspension goes ahead.

The Southern Trust has not been able to recruit consultant obstetricians to fill vacancies and it is preparing to temporarily move inpatient maternity services to Craigavon Area Hospital.

Finnegan, who lives in Newry, said her son Jack's oxygen supply was restricted when the placental abruption happened.

"His life was really on the line so the quicker I got there was really important for him to survive," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.

The journey to Craigavon from Newry is about 40 minutes and Finnegan said she was "worried about the expectant mothers that are in south Armagh, the Mourne area – how long will it take them?"

She said if she had to travel to Craigavon to give birth it would cause her "a lot of stress and anxiety".

"It would really make me consider not having any more children because I would be of higher risk of having those same complications," she said.

"The risk is just too major and it's not just about the baby but the mother."

Finnegan has another son who is six and said she had to think about him as well.

"I'm grateful every day that I had that team and the expectant mothers out there might not be as lucky to have these services so close by in case of emergencies," she added.

"Thankfully Jack and myself are good now, but the same might not be for other mothers that might have this happen to them."

A spokesperson for the Trust said its "overriding priority is the safety of women and babies.

"The trust's intention has been, and remains, to maintain inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital.

"While we work with colleagues across the system to explore every available option, it is responsible and necessary that we also develop a contingency plan.

"This would include the temporary consolidation of all births and inpatient maternity care at Craigavon Area Hospital, should that become necessary to maintain safe care for women and babies."

While Health Minister Robbie Butler said the move was not final, it is a serious problem for those expecting - like Carol McGahon who, at 30 weeks pregnant, described it as "a nightmare".

She told BBC News NI that the change of location meant more travelling and time off work and was "more anxiety-inducing".

"It's a bit of a kick in the teeth for such a lovely hospital because I have enjoyed coming here," she said.

She said it would take nearly twice as long for her to get from her home in Kilkeel to Craigavon Area Hospital, compared to her current journey to Daisy Hill.

Like her mother before her, Eimear McVerry was hoping to give birth at Daisy Hill.

At 28 weeks pregnant, she called the move "a bit inconvenient" as she lives 15 minutes from Daisy Hill.

"It's kind of just shocking really. You get used to the staff and all you're seeing and then go to a completely new place you know nothing about," she said.

Her mother Jolene said the hospital "has been here a lifetime, everybody you know had their kids here".

"It is just so disappointing to know that you have to go to Craigavon, which is quite a distance," she said.

Claire Boyle is expecting a third child and her first two were born in Daisy Hill.

"I don't know where this leaves me. Craigavon is crazy far from me now, so it's a bit of a disaster, not good to hear."

Her first reaction to hearing the news was "probably panic", she said, "because I had such good experiences with my first two and there's great staff".

This isn't the first time Daisy Hill has been forced to close part of its services.

In 2022 emergency general surgery was temporarily withdrawn due to what the trust said was an "ongoing recruitment challenge".

It also re-allocated services to Craigavon and lost the surgery permanently in January 2024.

In June 2023 changes to services saw a reduction in more than 100 beds at the hospital and it lost its stroke and some inpatient services.

In the last year, 4,481 babies were born within the Southern Trust's two maternity services: 1,713 at Daisy Hill Hospital and 2,768 at Craigavon Area Hospital.

BBC News NI understands that Daisy Hill Hospital's maternity unit has become reliant on locum and temporary staff.

The trust said it "cannot run a safe maternity service without the required medical cover and unfortunately that is a position that the trust is having to plan for at this moment in time".

It is thought ante and postnatal clinics will continue in Newry but alternative arrangements will be made for women due to have their babies in Daisy Hill from November.

Trust chief executive Steve Spoerry said the health minister had asked the wider Northern Ireland health system to explore what support might be available to help maintain the service in Newry in the longer term.

But he told BBC Evening Extra the service "would more likely than not" move from Daisy Hill.

Clodagh Corrigan, associate specialist and speciality grade (SAS) doctor at Daisy Hill, who is deputy chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, said there was "a major workforce crisis across many of our specialities in Northern Ireland" and services had "reached a crunch-point".

She cited the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen and Causeway Hospital in Coleraine as a examples of other facilities experiencing difficulties.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, Corrigan said sustained warnings from the health sector had "not been listened to".

The director of the Royal College of Midwives in Northern Ireland, Dr Dale Spence, said the suspension of services "should ring alarm bells".

"Unless we tackle the urgent workforce crisis, services will continue to be disrupted, putting further strain on an already stretched midwifery and obstetric workforce," he added.

Anyone who is concerned should contact their midwife first or call the dedicated maternity information line on 028 3756 1325 which will be open between 14:00 BST and 17:00 on Monday to Friday.