Causeway Hospital: Mum's anxiety over births moving from Coleraine

Devin McMullan lives in Ballycastle and is 22 weeks pregnant with her second child

A pregnant woman has said maternity services moving from Coleraine to Antrim will negatively impact expectant mothers in rural communities.

Devin McMullan, who is 22 weeks pregnant, lives outside Ballycastle, County Antrim.

She said pregnant women in her local area will now face a drive of more than an hour to get to Antrim Area Hospital.

She said the move could hurt the mental health of expectant mothers - especially those on lower incomes.

The changes are due to come into effect from 17 July.

A meeting will take place later on Friday between campaigners and the Northern Trust after the Department of Health confirmed in June that births will no longer take place at Coleraine's Causeway Hospital.

The department's permanent secretary approved consolidating maternity services at Antrim Area Hospital.

'Competing for healthcare'

Gemma Brolly, chair of the SOS causeway hospital campaign group, said it was an important day for people living in the area.

"We would be extremely concerned as to the nature of how these decisions have been made," she told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"We have had many questions from expectant mothers, young people who hope to have families and elderly people who are being been pitted against pregnant mothers on the north coast, nearly competing for healthcare."

A meeting will tak eplace on Friday between Northern Trust officials and the S.O.S. Causeway Hospital Campaign group

The Northern Health Trust had recommended that all births in the area should permanently move to the Antrim site. The recommendation was made by the trust's board following a 14-week public consultation.

In a statement, it said the Causeway Hospital is "a key part" of their acute hospital network and they remain "committed to maintaining acute services and an emergency department at the site".

It also said it was preparing to provide "enhanced antenatal care and clinics" at the hospital.

The trust had previously said that birth numbers in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area have declined year-on-year and so maternity services were "vulnerable and unsustainable".

'Unnecessary anxiety'

Antenatal and postnatal clinics will be retained and enhanced at Causeway Hospital, the Department of Health has previously said.

However, Ms McMullan, who is expecting her second child, said: "What would have been a 22-minute drive for me to get to Causeway [Hospital] is now more than an hour if I needed to get to Antrim Area Hospital.

"Many people, especially those on low incomes, don't have access to a car or even know someone with a car so would need to rely on public transport - what if it was an emergency? How is that fair?"

The Northern Trust said birth numbers in the Causeway Coast and Glens area have declined year-on-year

Ms McMullan said she is also concerned about home births not being available for women who would wish to have one.

While she is undecided about this at present, she said she feels her options - and the options for many other pregnant women - are being restricted.

"All of this is adding unnecessary anxiety to expectant mothers, there are many women who are concerned about this," she added.

"This is all seriously impacting on women's mental health and I believe not enough consideration has been given to this and there's certainly not been enough genuine engagement."

• Mums worried about births moving from Coleraine

• Protest held over Causeway maternity services move

Ms McMullan gave birth to her now three-year-old in Causeway Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She praised the staff on the maternity ward who helped deliver her baby and said they were compassionate and professional in incredibly challenging circumstances.

"I'm devastated the wonderful service they worked so hard to create for mums is being stripped away," she said.

In its statement, the Northern Trust maintained it was committed to acute services and an emergency department at the Causeway Hospital.

A trust spokesperson said £1m of funding, which is in addition to £2m announced for the hospital's emergency department; ambulatory services and frailty care, will see upgrades to ageing equipment.

"Preparations are also under way to provide enhanced antenatal care and clinics at Causeway Hospital so that pregnant women will have access to complex antenatal care and clinics," they said.

"We recognise that the hospital and its staff play a vital role in serving the local community, and we look forward to meeting with campaign representatives to further discuss our position with them."

BBC Radio Foyle has also approached the Department of Health for comment.