Maternity review plans meeting on Downpatrick unit

Maternity review plans meeting on Downpatrick unit

24 February 2016

A MEETING is being held in Downpatrick next Monday as part of a review into the town’s midwife-led maternity unit.

The Health and Social Care Board’s Leadership Centre — which provides a range of management and organisational support to health and social care organisations — is carrying out the review of the unit based at the Downe Hospital.

The review, which has been ordered by the South Eastern Local Commissioning Group which is responsible for assessing and planning the health needs of local people, will evaluate the totality of the midwife-led service and produce what is being described as an “over-arching report” with detailed recommendations. 

As part of the evaluation, representatives from the Leadership Centre will engage with a variety of stakeholder groups and a number of public information events will be held including one next Monday at the Downshire Civic Centre in Downpatrick which starts at 6pm. The midwife-led service at Lisburn’s Lagan Valley Hospital is also being reviewed.

Politicians say it’s important the review “is not a numbers game,” but concentrates on improving the existing midwife-led service in Downpatrick for many years to come. They say the specific rural needs of the wider Down area must be a key part of the consultation process.

Ahead of next Monday’s meeting, the chairman of the Down Community Health Committee is urging as many people as possible to attend to make clear their views on the town’s maternity service which was the first of its kind in Ireland to be launched in 2010.

Eamonn McGrady said it is very important people attend next Monday’s event at the conference room at the Downshire Civic Centre to make clear how strongly they feel about the retention of local hospital services, including midwifery services.

“We had a very successful and valuable maternity hospital that was levelled, flattened to the ground a number of years ago. The new service which has been provided does not suit every mother, but it is a very useful and convenient service for some who have been appropriately screened,” he continued.

“The Down Community Health Committee would encourage people to attend next Monday night’s meeting in as large a number as possible to show we appreciate our local services.”