Latest Stories

A midwife led unit at Lagan Valley hospital is proposed, which would replace the existing set-up which has access to a full range of obstetric services including consultants.

The local trust says prospective mothers would be carefully screened to try to ensure that only low risk births are dealt with in the new facility, and any complicated cases would be referred on to another hospital.

But the trust admits that in some cases, unforeseen circumstances might see some women having to be transferred right in the middle of labour.

Conor Macauley reports.