Inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry face temporary suspension from late October or November due to persistent consultant obstetrician vacancies, the Southern Trust has announced. Expectant mothers will be redirected to Craigavon Area Hospital for delivery, though ante and postnatal clinics are expected to remain in Newry. The trust cited significant workforce pressures and an inability to recruit sufficient medical cover as the reason for the planned move.
The Southern Trust said it cannot operate a safe maternity service without the required medical staffing levels. According to local health reporting, the temporary suspension is being planned for the next six to eight weeks rather than representing an immediate permanent closure. The trust's overriding priority remains the safety of women and babies, with officials stating they intend to maintain inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill if possible.
In the last year, the Southern Trust's maternity services delivered 4,481 babies across its two sites: 1,713 at Daisy Hill and 2,768 at Craigavon. The Daisy Hill unit has become increasingly reliant on locum and temporary staff as permanent consultant positions remain unfilled.
Why is the trust unable to maintain services?
Colm McCafferty, director of children, young people and women's services at the trust, explained that recruitment challenges have intensified significantly. Over recent years, the trust experienced growing difficulties attracting consultant cover to the Daisy Hill site, with the situation becoming particularly acute in recent months following several retirements and two consultants taking positions at other Northern Ireland trusts.
We have exhausted all relevant agencies across Ireland, across the UK and over the past six weeks throughout Europe. Unfortunately, we have not been able to attract the required skill set or people with relevant qualifications and that's the challenge that we continue to experience.
McCafferty apologised to expectant mothers and their families for the inconvenience of having to alter their birthing plans. He noted that the trust has to plan on the basis that services may need to be temporarily consolidated on the Craigavon site from the end of October into November, pending efforts to secure adequate consultant cover.
The staffing pressures reflect a wider shortage of consultant obstetricians across Northern Ireland and the UK. Southern Trust chief executive Steve Spoerry said that health minister Robbie Butler had asked the wider Northern Ireland health and social care system to explore what support might help keep inpatient maternity services in Newry longer term.
What arrangements are being made for affected women?
The trust will engage with women through its community-based midwifery service to agree birthing plans and address potential challenges such as transport or anxiety about travelling to a different hospital. Dr Beverley Adams, the divisional medical director for Integrated Maternity and Women's Health at the trust, acknowledged that travel time would be a factor for more women but stated the trust has dealt with such situations before and has systems in place to manage them safely.
According to health service updates, contingency planning includes ensuring the capacity needed at Craigavon Area Hospital to accommodate additional births and maintaining obstetric support for Daisy Hill's Emergency Department. A dedicated maternity information line has been established for affected women: 028 3756 1325, open weekdays from 14:00 to 17:00.
What has the health minister said?
Health Minister Robbie Butler told the Northern Ireland Assembly that no final decision has yet been taken on the future of maternity services. He acknowledged that the consultant workforce position has become increasingly fragile and that the Southern Trust might need to introduce temporary contingency arrangements unless sufficient medical cover is secured.
Butler recognised there would be understandable concern among expectant mothers, staff and the wider community. He stressed that the situation remains an emerging picture with no plan yet finalised or approved by his department. He stated he had made clear that any contingency plan must address several issues, including how women and babies will be cared for safely, how sufficient capacity will be created at Craigavon, and how appropriate obstetrics support will be maintained for the Emergency Department at Daisy Hill.
What are campaigners saying?
Eddy Curtis, from the campaign group Save Our Services Daisy Hill, acknowledged that alternative options should be considered if a service is unsafe, but questioned why Daisy Hill repeatedly loses services. He pointed out that the hospital serves not only Newry but also provides care for people from across south Down and south Armagh.
Curtis cited the previous removal of stroke services from Daisy Hill, which meant people in southern areas such as Annalong now have to travel approximately 90 minutes to Craigavon. He argued that Daisy Hill should be given parity of esteem with other hospitals and noted that since Craigavon retains stroke services, Newry should be able to keep maternity services.
You're playing with people's lives. And I'm sure there are a lot of ladies out here who are expecting, and they will be very, very nervous.
What is the history of service changes at Daisy Hill?
This proposed suspension follows a pattern of service reductions at the hospital. The Department of Health permanently removed emergency general surgery from Daisy Hill in January 2024. Additionally, maternity services were permanently suspended at Causeway Hospital in July 2023 and consolidated at Antrim Area Hospital, raising concerns that the Southern Trust may follow a similar path.
However, the trust has previously managed temporary suspensions. In June 2026, maternity and gynaecology services at Daisy Hill were temporarily suspended due to unexpected staff sickness before services resumed after cover was secured, demonstrating that temporary measures can be reversed if staffing improves.
What happens next?
Women due to give birth from November are being informed that alternative arrangements will be made if the suspension proceeds. The trust continues to explore options to maintain services at Daisy Hill and is working with the wider health system to identify potential support. A final decision on the temporary suspension has not yet been approved by the Department of Health, and the situation remains subject to further developments regarding consultant recruitment and workforce planning.
