Woman talks of 'dungeon' hospital

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey says he cannot finance a new hospital

A woman who recently gave birth in the Royal Maternity hospital in Belfast has described the delivery suite as "a dungeon".

Julianne Scott was speaking after the health minister said he had not the finances to build a new hospital for women and children on the site.

A hospital spokeswoman acknowledged that the building had its limitations.

Protesters at a rally at Stormont on Wednesday are to urge Michael McGimpsey to prioritise a new hospital.

Ms Scott, who had her first baby at the Royal, said it was appalling.

"I can just remember going into the room and thinking, 'Oh my goodness,' it was like a dungeon,'" she said.

"It was so old, so dull and it was so cold, it was unbelievable."

Ms Scott had nothing but praise for midwives, but it was the hospital conditions and the pressure on staff that worried her.

'Broken promise'

Since the Jubilee maternity hospital in south Belfast closed in 2000, an increasing number of people - including mothers and midwives - say the Royal simply cannot cope.

At that time, Health Minister Bairbre de Brun promised a new £360m hospital at the Royal site.

However, that plan is still on hold.

About 5,000 women use the Royal Maternity hospital every year and many believe the building can no longer cope with the demand.

Wednesday's rally is an attempt to persuade the health minister to prioritise the new hospital.

The old maternity hospital is close to the new Royal hospital in west Belfast

Liz Bannon, co-director of Maternity and Women's Services at the Belfast Trust acknowledged the limitations of the old building.

"It is correct to say that the current building is an old building. It has had a lot of work done on it to improve and maintain its condition, but it is fundamentally an old building," she said.

"We have invested quite a bit of money in trying to make it fit for purpose and have succeeded in many areas.

"But there are areas where it isn't possible to do anything further in terms of the fabric of the building."

Joy Poots, chair of the Royal Jubilee Maternity Liason Committee, said it felt like a promise had been "completely broken".

"The Jubilee Maternity hospital was closed on the promise that there would be a new women's hospital and that this was an interim measure that services were located in the old Royal building.

Ms Poots said there was cross-party consensus at Stormont on the issue.

"We feel that it is not just an issue for the Department of Health and the Minister for Health.

"This is something on which all parties must unite. The money has to be found to let us get the work started straight away."

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the health minister's decision to delay work on a new hospital until 2017 was "totally unacceptable".

"This decision flies in the face of the urgent health needs of women and children for this new hospital and the integrated services which would be located at the Royal," he said.

"It is time for the minister for health to keep the promise which was made for a new hospital for women and children. It is time to deliver".