The North-Eastern Health Board has adopted a report on the future of maternity services in the region which includes the reopening of maternity units at Louth County Hospital in Dundalk and at Monaghan Hospital - but as midwifery-led units.
The Kinder review group was set up to examine the maternity services in counties Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan after members rejected the findings of the Condon group of experts, who had recommended closing the maternity unit in Monaghan and replacing the maternity unit in Dundalk with a midwife-led unit.
The maternity units at Monaghan and Dundalk closed in the wake of the Condon report. This was because insurance cover was withdrawn from both sites when consultants told the board they felt unable to provide a safe level of service there.
The Kinder review aims to provide a woman-centred quality service that is safe, accessible and sustainable, with most births in midwife units, according to chairperson Mr Pat Kinder, former chief executive of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland.
The report recommends that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda be the base for a consultant-led, level-three obstetric unit, regional neonatal unit, midwife unit and a training centre for neonatal nurses.
A consultant-led, level-two obstetric unit, level-two special baby-care unit and midwife unit will be based at Cavan General Hospital.
The midwife units at Louth County and Monaghan hospitals are to reopen "on a phased basis as soon as possible".
A midwife unit is to be set up at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan "as soon as judged necessary" and a community midwifery service provided for home births.
At the health board debate on the report, concerns were voiced on the proposed services and some doubts were raised on the capability of the Lourdes Hospital site to accommodate so many services. But the board adopted the report by 16 votes to seven.
Mr Kinder said the new units would help attract more midwives. The shortage arose from the number leaving the speciality as they felt they were little more than "handmaidens for consultants". A task force is to be established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations which health board chief executive Mr Paul Robinson warned members would be "costly".