In the Dáil this week, Boyd Barrett raised concerns that shortages of consultants have led to the collapse of maternity services in Newry’s Daisy Hill hospital and a temporary transfer of the service to the Craigavon Area Hospital, which itself is struggling to deliver services.
Patients from the South Armagh area are to be rerouted across the border to Drogheda’s Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said:
“I was in Newry on Monday night meeting campaigners who are part of the SOS Daisy Hill campaign. This campaign is opposing relocation of maternity services to Craigavon hospital because of a lack of consultants at Daisy Hill Thousands of people have marched in Newry to keep the services in Daisy Hill.
“Patients from South Armagh are due to be rerouted across the border to Drogheda’s Lourdes Hospital. Ambulance coverage in the North is already inadequate and families must now face dangerous journeys in stressful situations
“Over 70,000 people in the Republic use Daisy Hill Hospital. For them, it is the nearest acute hospital.
“Whilst the Daisy Hill maternity suspension is indefinite the removal is not yet permanent and it could be returned if more consultants are recruited or trained.
“The Taoiseach should engage with this very serious issue and use the Shared Island fund in his own department to assist in developing an all-Ireland health service which will keep maternity services and other services in Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.”
People Before Profit’s Newry and Armagh representative Marc Mac Seáin added:
“The local community needs services in Daisy Hill and I will continue to work with campaigners to escalate mobilisation and take action to ensure services in Daisy Hill are retained and protected.”