Nothing short of the full restoration of maternity services at Monaghan and Dundalk hospitals would allay the "endemic fear" of people living in those areas, a special meeting of the North Eastern Health Board was told yesterday.
Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain TD, of Sinn Féin, was speaking at what he later described at a "deeply frustrating" meeting called to discuss the three reports on the death of a baby, Bronagh Livingstone, last month.
Bronagh died after her mother, Ms Denise Livingstone, was sent by ambulance from Monaghan General Hospital to Cavan Hospital despite being at an advanced stage of premature labour. Bronagh was born en route to Cavan and, despite breathing for the rest of the onward journey, died shortly after her arrival at Cavan.
During the 3½-hour meeting in Kells, Co Meath, yesterday there were several calls on the CEO of the board, Mr Paul Robinson, to accept the resignation tendered by his medical adviser, Mr Finbarr Lennon, after the controversy surrounding the baby's death.
Mr Paudge Connolly told Mr Robinson: "You have been accepting faulty and unsafe medical advice from Mr Lennon" and he urged Mr Robinson to consider resigning also. Mr Robinson said Mr Lennon had admitted he was not an expert in obstetrics but had taken expert advice on issues relating to the area. "I can't ask for any more than that, and that is why I didn't accept his resignation" he asked.
Dr Paul McCarthy, a Louth GP, asked Mr Robinson which aspects of Mr Lennon's advice he had accepted or ignored. This question was not addressed in Mr Robinson's overall response to questions.
Dr Alf Nicholson, consultant paedatrician at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, said Bronagh "got the best chance of survival she could". At best, he said, a baby born at 25 weeks' gestation had a 10 per cent chance of survival. He said the policy being pursued by the board for Monaghan General Hospital, which envisages a midwife-led maternity unit, was "the best way forward".
Mr Maurice Stokes, consultant surgeon at the same hospital, said errors were made on the morning of Bronagh's death. Staff at Monaghan "didn't seem to know what was going on" and he attributed this to a lack of clarity in communicating change to staff.
"Changes have to be very carefully planned. We can't bring in change without the necessary back-up. Change has to be very clearly highlighted and not fudged," he said.
Ms Livingstone's father, Mr Jimmy Livingstone, who attended the meeting said he was "disgusted" by it and would be seeking a second meeting with the Minister for Health.
"They are standing by their scapegoating of the staff at Monaghan, saying they didn't keep to the protocols when it was their protocols that caused the problem," he said.
Mr Robinson has appointed a 10-member team headed by Dr Rory Page, a consultant anaesthetist, to examine emergency protocols at Monaghan. They will report by the end of February.
Mr O Caolain and Mr Connolly said the executive would "love us to give up demanding maternity services at Monaghan. But we will be back demanding what is the right of the people of Monaghan."
