Baby Care Units

Lady Hermon
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many babies were transferred to hospitals outside Northern Ireland in each of the last six years because of the lack of suitable intensive care facilities in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins
Information on the number of babies transferred to hospitals outside Northern Ireland in 2001 is not available within the timeframe provided. Information on the number of babies transferred to hospitals outside Northern Ireland for the years 2002 to 2006 inclusive are provided in the following table:

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|Trust                         |2002|2003|2004|2005|2006|Total|
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|Altnagelvin Group             |1   |0   |0   |1   |0   |2    |
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|Craigavon Area Hospital Group |0   |1   |0   |1   |0   |2    |
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|Newry and Mourne              |0   |0   |0   |1   |1   |2    |
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|Sperrin Lakeland              |0   |0   |0   |0   |2   |2    |
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|Royal Group of Hospitals      |1   |2   |4   |2   |1   |10   |
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|Ulster Community and Hospitals|0   |0   |0   |0   |0   |0    |
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|United Hospitals              |0   |0   |0   |2   |0   |2    |
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|Source:HPSS Trusts            |    |    |    |    |    |     |
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