The Southern Health Trust is preparing to temporarily relocate inpatient maternity services from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to Craigavon Area Hospital, citing recruitment challenges for specialist staff. The trust cited workforce assessments and operational factors in identifying Craigavon as the safer and more sustainable option for maintaining services. The consolidation is set to begin from 23 November.
The trust currently has five vacant consultant obstetrician positions and states it cannot safely operate maternity units at both locations without adequate medical staffing. According to trust leadership, the organization does not have sufficient consultants to adequately cover daytime and emergency rotas across both facilities. The trust employs 15 consultant obstetricians, though some are unavailable due to sickness, reduced working arrangements, and maternity leave. Additionally, vacancies equate to 0.61 full-time midwife posts at Daisy Hill and 11.69 at Craigavon. Sixteen newly appointed midwives are expected to begin work between November 2026 and January 2027.
Local families have expressed concerns about the increased travel distances and potential delays in emergency care. One mother recounted being transported 40 miles (64km) while in premature labour after Craigavon had no available capacity. Another family noted that their location would require travel times extended by approximately one additional hour compared to using Daisy Hill. Questions have been raised regarding how Craigavon will manage approximately 1,400 additional births annually if the service consolidation proceeds.
Midwifery leadership has highlighted systemic workforce pressures, noting that staffing levels across acute maternity units have declined since October 2019. The Royal College of Midwives indicated that existing staff are experiencing significant strain. Birth numbers at Daisy Hill increased between 2019 and 2025, while those at Craigavon declined during the same period. The trust acknowledged that a previous 2024 withdrawal of emergency general surgery from Daisy Hill prompted implementation of risk-stratification procedures affecting the types of deliveries performed at that location, subsequently influencing overall birth volumes over recent years.
The trust stated it remains committed to recruiting additional consultant obstetricians for Daisy Hill while preparing for the temporary consolidation at Craigavon. Leadership emphasized that maintaining women and babies’ safety represents its highest priority in making these service adjustments.
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