“I was born in Newry.”
For generations, those words have connected families to Daisy Hill, Newry, South Armagh and South Down. Generations of families have started their story at Daisy Hill. We want future generations to be able to say that too.
The Southern Trust is preparing to temporarily suspend births and inpatient maternity care at Daisy Hill Hospital. We must not let a temporary suspension become a permanent loss.
Last year alone, 1,713 babies were born at Daisy Hill. Moving these to Craigavon creates new risks of overcrowding and stretching resources in an already overburdened service.
This is about safe maternity care close to home. It is about women facing longer journeys in labour, families travelling further for support, and protecting a vital hospital service for a growing population.
Patient safety must come first. That means an urgent, funded plan to secure the staff and support needed to deliver maternity care safely at Daisy Hill.
We, the undersigned, call on the Health Minister and Southern Trust to protect births and inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill, address staffing shortages and publish a clear timetable for restoring any services temporarily suspended. We will not accept anything less.
Add your name. Help protect the next generation’s chance to say: “I was born in Newry.”
