Member's statement: Specialist Mother-and-baby Unit

Member's statement by Miss Órlaithí Flynn on 3 June 2025.

MLA

Miss Órlaithí Flynn

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

3 June 2025

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Specialist Mother-and-baby Unit

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4985676

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Giving birth should be one of the most fulfilling and joyous times in a woman's life. It marks the beginning of a new journey and a new life, and no mother should be separated from her baby at such a vulnerable and critical stage of development. Recent media reports of mothers being separated from their newborns have once again highlighted the urgent need for a specialist mother-and-baby unit on this island. I commend the courageous women and families who have spoken about their experiences, and their voices must genuinely be heard. I urge the Department of Health to act swiftly and progress the business case for a dedicated unit without further delay. Shamefully, we remain the only part of these islands that does not have such a facility for mothers and babies. Some new mothers experience serious mental health challenges after birth, and they deserve access to specialist inpatient care that allows them to stay with their baby while they are receiving the healthcare support that they need. Mothers cannot wait for that kind of facility any longer. They deserve compassion, dignity and proper care as they begin the life-changing journey of parenthood. We know that a location for the unit has been identified at Belfast City Hospital. As recently as last week, the Minister of Health said that the business case is at a pretty advanced stage. He hopes that the unit will be green-lighted during this calendar year, which would represent important progress. If we were to get the unit over the line very soon, it would be the first facility of its kind on the island. We need to look at how we can maximise cross-border cooperation so that no mother, regardless of where she lives, faces the awful scenario of being separated from her newborn baby if she is in mental health psychosis or dealing with a bad mental health illness. I will mention the maternal advocacy and support (MAS) project; all the clinicians who have been part of the campaign; all the groups, including the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA); and the journalists who have spoken up and spoken out, including Marie-Louise Connolly, who has done a 'Spotlight' piece on the need for a specialist unit. In March, we held a session at the all-party group (APG) on women's health at which we heard from a mother named Laura, who said that, while she was in the mental health unit, when her wee newborn baby was being brought to visit her, she was beside a smoking area. She did not have access to a proper bath to get bathed after giving birth. It is ridiculous that mothers are still experiencing that scenario. Two years ago, a petition was handed to Robin Swann, including signatures from, sadly, some bereaved families. One mother from Belfast had lost her life, so her wee newborn baby was left without a mother. We therefore really need to get the facility over the line for all the mothers and families in our communities.

502 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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