UNISON demands credible plan to return Maternity Services to Daisy Hill as over 13,000 people oppose move
UNISON has called on the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and the Department of Health to provide a credible, time-bound plan for the return of consultant-led maternity services to Daisy Hill Hospital.
Addressing the Southern Trust Board on Tuesday 3rd November, UNISON Regional Organiser James Large presented the Trust with a petition containing over 13,000 signatures opposing the transfer of maternity services from Daisy Hill to Craigavon Area Hospital.
Commenting following the Board meeting, UNISON Regional Organiser James Large said: “Over 13,000 people have signed our petition, and thousands have taken to the streets to defend maternity services at Daisy Hill. The strength of feeling amongst our members and the wider community could not be clearer.
“We have heard the word ‘temporary’ before in our health service. Unfortunately, temporary all too often becomes permanent by default. The people of Newry, South Armagh and South Down deserve honesty about the future of their maternity services.
“If this move is genuinely temporary, then the Trust and Department of Health must produce a credible, time-bound plan for their return. That means clear milestones, a workforce plan and accountability for delivering it. Warm words and vague assurances are simply not good enough.
“Rural needs and the needs of rural communities must be central to decisions about healthcare provision. Women and families should not face increasingly long journeys to access essential maternity services simply because of where they live. Centralising services cannot become the default response to failures in workforce planning.
“Our members also need certainty about their futures. Staff who have dedicated their working lives to Daisy Hill deserve to know when they will return to their substantive base. They cannot be left in limbo indefinitely, with no clear indication of when services will be restored.
“The workforce challenges facing maternity services did not arise overnight. They require serious intervention, investment, and long-term planning, not the continued removal of services from local hospitals.
“UNISON will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our members and the thousands of people across the community who have made their voices heard.
“The Trust and Department of Health must now demonstrate that their commitment to a temporary move is genuine.
“Temporary must mean temporary. We need honesty, we need a credible plan, and we need a clear timeline for the return of maternity services to Daisy Hill Hospital.”