Niamh Smyth, after a decade of fertility treatment and nearly five years on a waiting list, says attending a gynaecology appointment inside the Ulster Hospital maternity unit was "heartbreaking". She sat beside expectant families while receiving difficult news and later shared her experience online, prompting similar responses from other women. The South Eastern Trust plans to relocate outpatient gynaecology services, and several trusts say they are reviewing service locations as part of wider work on women's health.
‘Heartbreaking’ Visit at Ulster Hospital Prompts Call To Separate Fertility Services From Maternity Units
Niamh Smyth said she was shocked to find out where she had been directed to go when looking for the gynaecology department [BBC]
Niamh Smyth, who has spent more than a decade undergoing fertility treatment, has urged some hospitals to move fertility and gynaecology appointments out of maternity units after a distressing experience at the Ulster Hospital in Northern Ireland.
Smyth and her husband, Justyn, have undergone four rounds of IVF: three unsuccessful cycles and one pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. After nearly five years on a gynaecology waiting list, she finally attended an appointment in May. When she rang the hospital to ask where the department was, she was told it was inside the maternity unit. "When I heard that, my heart just dropped," she said.
She described the pain of sitting beside expectant parents and families while awaiting difficult news about her own fertility. "It was heartbreaking," Smyth said. "I went in for my appointment, which was a hard appointment, and then had to walk back out past those families."
Trust Response And Wider Concerns
The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, which runs services at the Ulster Hospital, said it hopes to relocate outpatient gynaecology services from the maternity unit in the coming months. The BBC contacted all five Northern Ireland health trusts about the location of their fertility and gynaecology services.
Órlaithí Flynn says that the location of where services are delivered should be considered as part of the Department of Health's 'Women's Health Strategy' [BBC]
The Belfast Trust said its Regional Fertility Centre operates from a dedicated facility with a separate entrance, and the Southern Trust said fertility treatment is provided from a standalone clinic. By contrast, the Western, Northern and South Eastern trusts acknowledged that having appointments close to maternity services can be distressing for some patients and said they are exploring improvements.
Órlaithí Flynn, Sinn Féin MLA: "Your senses are totally heightened in terms of noticing babies coming and going from maternity hospitals and noticing pregnant mothers going in to have their babies. All of those things seem a lot more sharp and a lot more real, and it can hurt."
Flynn, who has also undergone fertility treatment and experienced a miscarriage, said the placement of services should be considered as part of the Department of Health's Women’s Health Strategy.
A Broader Issue
After sharing her experience in a video, Smyth said many women contacted her with similar stories, suggesting the problem extends beyond a single hospital. "It isn't just me; it's been going on for years and nothing has changed," she said.
While painful to recount, Smyth hopes her story will prompt change. "I think fertility services should be in a separate unit from maternity. You're going through probably one of the hardest things you can go through. It just adds more stress and more pressure at a time when you really don't need it," she added.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.
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