Staffing safety fears sparks maternity crisis

FEARS of a national maternity crisis mounted last night after consultants in Limerick’s only public maternity hospital warned they may be forced to turn women away because they do not have enough staff to ensure safe deliveries.

The warning comes days after the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin was forced to announce a cap on the number of babies it could deliver due to overcrowding and safety fears.

Tralee General Hospital has also expressed fears about its maternity services, which were described as “potentially dangerous”.