A mobile incubator necessary for the transport of premature babies between hospitals was not present in Monaghan General Hospital in the early hours of December 11th when Ms Denise Livingstone presented in an advanced stage of labour.
The absence of the machine which, it is understood, had been lent to Cavan Hospital, was in apparent contravention of protocols drawn up by the North Eastern Health Board, sources have told The Irish Times.
The missing "globetrotter" incubator was among the issues raised by the team established by the Minister for Health to investigate the Livingstone incident.
The team's report is expected to be published later today. The three-person team investigated whether there were deficiencies in the protocols for dealing with emergencies at the Monaghan hospital in relation to the Livingstone case.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said last night arrangements were being finalised to get a copy of the report to the Livingstone family "as soon as the Minister gets it".
The report was ordered after Ms Denise Livingstone was sent from Monaghan to Cavan by ambulance in an advanced stage of labour on December 11th. She delivered a premature baby girl, Bronagh, en route to Cavan. Bronagh breathed and cried for most of the onward journey but died soon after arrival at Cavan. There was no incubator in the ambulance.
It is understood that Monaghan General did have a "globetrotter" incubator, which runs off an ambulance battery. However, the hospital had lent it to Cavan Hospital and it had not been returned, sources in Monaghan said.
According to the protocol for the management of emergency transfers for obstetrical mothers from Monaghan/Navan/Dundalk, drawn-up by the North Eastern Health Board and revised in June this year, the transfer of a mother who has delivered, and her baby, "will take place as soon as possible".
"Staff to accompany mother/baby will be determined by the mother's/baby's medical needs and in accordance with the instructions of the doctor at the accepting hospital. The baby will travel in an incubator," it says.
One source working at Monaghan said: "No pieces of equipment would move between hospitals without the board knowing about it. So, yes, it would be the responsibility of the board to make sure the hospital was properly equipped to keep to the protocol."
The source also pointed out, however, that without staff familiar with the workings of such an incubator, it was questionable whether one would have made a significant difference to Bronagh Livingstone's prospects. Such staff would have had to come from Cavan or Drogheda hospitals.
Mr Jimmy Livingstone, Denise's father, said yesterday he hoped the report would recommend that "some sort of maternity services are restored to Monaghan".
Meanwhile, the general nursing representative on the NEHB, Ms Nancy Allen, resigned her seat last night "in protest at the deepening crisis affecting the health services of the region".
