Review after death of two mothers

A review of maternity services in the Northern Health Trust, ordered after the deaths of two mothers, has made a number of criticisms.

The report said hospitals had struggled to cope with an increase in births and an apparent shortage of resources.

It was ordered after the deaths of two women who gave birth in Antrim Area Hospital in 2006 and 2007.

The report said there had been a historical lack of clear leadership which was now being addressed.

The report, compiled by an independent team of medical experts, identified problems with staff morale, training and development.

While the report found that maternity services at Antrim and Causeway Hospitals were safe and would be in the top 25%, it has also found that better use could have been made of existing resources.

It pointed out that there were high levels of medicalised forms of care such as caesareans and induction of labour, compared to the rest of the UK.

The Trust said it has accepted all the recommendations in full and that an action plan was being implemented.

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