The medical adviser to the North Eastern Health Board management, Dr Finbar Lennon, offered to resign on Saturday following the publication of an independent review of the circumstances surrounding the death of baby Bronagh Livingstone.
Dr Lennon, a consultant surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, sent the following letter of resignation to the health board's chief executive officer, Mr Paul Robinson:
Dear Mr Robinson,
The report of the external review group is highly critical of the North Eastern Health Board. As medical adviser to senior management I have a very significant responsibility for ensuring that the delivery of care in the acute hospitals is safe.
I did send a formal report to you on this case for examination by the external review group. I fully accept the outcome of their review.
In the circumstances it is appropriate that I step down as medical adviser and I now offer my resignation.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Finbar Lennon.
A statement issued by the NEHB said Mr Robinson did not wish to accept Dr Lennon's offer to resign and requested that he continue as medical adviser.
"Mr Robinson stated that he fully appreciated Mr Lennon's position and the factors which had prompted him to offer his resignation.
"Mr Robinson went on to say that he had always found Mr Lennon's advice to be relevant, timely, evidence-based and objective.
"He said his advice had been of immense value to him in dealing with the difficult and complex issues relating to the acute hospital service in the north-east," the statement said.