Altnagelvin hospital: Midwife-led unit unable to reopen

A midwife-led unit at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry has been unable to reopen since the Covid-19 pandemic due to a shortage of midwives.

"Attempts are being made to address the issue," the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) told BBC News NI.

They said women can still receive midwife-led services at the Derry hospital in the delivery suite and also for the antenatal and postnatal period.

The unit was re-designated as a Covid-19 treatment area during the pandemic.

A trust spokesperson said that "there is a shortage of midwives regionally" and that it "has increased the number of midwives in training in an attempt to improve the recruitment of staff".

A Department of Health spokeswoman told BBC News NI the trust had taken an "operational decision" to close the unit.

The department has been assured the unit will reopen as "as soon as midwifery-staffing levels are available to provide safe and effective care," the spokeswoman added.

The Western Trust said home births are continuing as normal.

During pregnancy, both midwifery-led care in hospitals and in the community is offered in Northern Ireland. Consultant-led care provided at hospitals is another option for women.

In some cases, care will be shared by a number of professionals including GPs, midwives and consultant obstetricians.

Director of the Royal College of Midwives in Northern Ireland, Karen Murray, said "recruitment issues at Altnagelvin are not new and they are aware of the acute problem".

"Fifty midwives left Altnagelvin Hospital alone in the past few years because of retirement or taking other career paths," Ms Murray said.

"The Western Trust is aware and have been working on recruitment. In fact, about 15 newly-qualified midwives will hopefully be able to alleviate the problems in the next year.

"It's important to say though that expectant mothers and new mothers are being cared for and looked after still, we just need the doors open to the unit.

"People can be qualified too, but also need the experience to hit the ground running.

"These things take time, 65 midwifery students are doing the course in Queen's [University Belfast] this year but we'd rather see that figure at 80."

SDLP assembly member for Foyle, Sinéad McLaughlin, said she had "grave concerns at the uncertain future" of the midwife-led unit at Altnagelvin Hospital.

"I was contacted recently by a number of women who are frustrated and disappointed that the unit remains closed," Ms McLaughlin said.

She said that many woman felt its reopening "would greatly benefit maternal mental health across Derry".

"Unfortunately, current recruitment challenges are frustrating efforts to resource safe and effective care in our local hospital, leaving mothers in Derry to pay the price for the lack of investment," she said.

"The fact that there has not been a maternity strategy since 2018 is another damning indictment of this failure."

The politician said it was crucial that an executive was restored to help deal with this issue and "enable a health minister to implement the findings of the framework for nursing and midwifery workforce planning".