Hospital report calls for midwife/maternity unit

THE report into the death of baby Bronagh Livingstone late last year stresses that a midwifery-led maternity unit should be provided at Monaghan General Hospital, as recommended by a previous review group.

The baby’s mother arrived at the hospital last December in the late stages of labour, but was transferred to another hospital in Cavan because of a lack of maternity services. She gave birth en route to a premature baby girl, Bronagh, who died shortly afterwards.

The report, which was prepared by a former civil servant, Kevin Bonner, for the Minister for Health, says the provision of such a midwife/maternity unit would restore confidence to the community and boost staff morale enormously.