Livingstone calls for disbandment of health board

The North Eastern Health Board "should be stood down immediately" , the father of the woman whose baby died after she was refused admission to Monaghan General Hospital said yesterday.

Mr Jimmy Livingstone, speaking after a meeting with the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, in Leinster House, said "the people of north Monaghan have no confidence in the North Eastern Health Board.

"The Minister should take over the running of the health services in the north east himself," said Mr Livingstone.

"I requested of him, on behalf of my daughter, my granddaughter and myself to immediately stand down the North Eastern Health Board. And if he's not able to take control of the board he should resign himself," said Mr Livingstone.

Mr Livingstone's daughter, Denise, from Emyvale, north Co Monaghan, was refused admission to Monaghan General Hospital in the early hours of the morning last week despite being in advanced stage of labour. She was seen there by a doctor and nurse but sent on by ambulance to Cavan General Hospital, some 25 miles away.

She was accompanied by neither doctor nor nurse and delivered a premature baby girl, Bronagh, en route to Cavan. The baby died shortly after arriving at Cavan. Maternity services had been withdrawn from Monaghan in March 2001.

A three-person team, established by the Minister, is investigating whether there were deficiencies in the protocols for dealing with emergencies at Monaghan Hospital. Chaired by Ms Maureen Lynott, head of the Treatment Purchase Fund, it is expected to submit its report to Mr Martin tomorrow.

Also present at yesterday's meeting were Cavan-Monaghan TDs Mr Paudge Connolly (Independent), Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Sinn Féin), Mr Seymour Crawford (Fine Gael) and Mr Rory O'Hanlon (Fianna Fáil).

Mr Livingstone said Mr Martin "listened" to his concerns but told him that until the team report was submitted tomorrow he could not go into detail about what happened on the morning of Bronagh's death.

He said he had "no confidence" in the Minister, adding: "I hold him responsible for the death of my granddaughter."

His daughter, who he said was "holding up well", had asked him yesterday morning before he set off from Emyvale, to make clear to Mr Martin that the family "in no way" held the staff of Monaghan Hospital or the ambulance staff responsible for what happened.

"The buck stops with him [Mr Martin]," he said.

Mr Ó Caoláin said the meeting had "not resulted in any tangible progress" and urged Mr Martin "not to attempt the pretence of addressing the wider community's need through minimal protocol changes".

Mr Connolly raised the fact that Monaghan had been designated a "hub" town under the National Spatial Strategy, saying it defied "all logic to systematically dismantle services at Monaghan in face of the impending long-term strategy for balanced regional development".