The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) on Holles Street will move to the St Vincent's University Hospital campus in Elm Park, Dublin, after agreement was reached between the two parties.

The NMH was built in 1894 and now delivers over 9,000 babies every year. Earlier this year, the transfer of the maternity hospital was thrown into doubt following a dispute between the two hospitals over issues of independence and governance.

However, the Department of Health has confirmed that agreement has now been reached on the move, with both hospitals agreeing a new governance arrangement, which will see the establishment of a new company - the National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park DAC. This will be a subsidiary of the St Vincent's Healthcare Group.

This new company will have clinical and operational independence in the provision of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services, as well as financial and budgetary independence.

Announcing the agreement, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, thanked everyone involved in the talks and acknowledged ‘the significant efforts made by both hospitals over recent months to reach a resolution'.

"At the outset I asked both hospitals to be flexible and innovative, to be open to change, and to demonstrate real leadership. It is clear that both hospitals listened and, motivated by the desire to provide women and infants with the best possible sustainable service on the Elm Park Campus, have, through this agreement, demonstrated real leadership," he commented.

The board of the new company will be made up of nine directors - four nominated by St Vincent's, four by NMH including the Master, and one who will be an international expert in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The chairperson will rotate every three years and the first chairperson will be one of the NMH nominated directors.

The Mastership model will be retained at the new NMH. This means that the hospital will continue to be run by an obstetrician (the Master), rather than a professional manager.

Minister Harris said that all going well, the new maternity hospital could expect to open in early 2021.