Members of the local Soroptimists International have presented a picture to the antenatal clinic at Craigavon Area Hospital in memory of the last Matron of the Carleton Maternity Hospital in Portadown.
Mrs Elizabeth Mason was Matron at the Carleton which was Portadown’s only hospital from 1917 until Craigavon Hospital opened in 1972.
Also known as The Carleton Maternity Home from the 1930s, many babies were born there and others born at Lurgan Hospital were transferred to the Carleton to be cared for until mothers and babies were able to go home. It is currently used as sheltered accommodation for senior citizens.
Elizabeth, known as Lily Mason was a life-long member of Soroptimist International and was committed to improving the lives of women and their families.
She left a donation with the charity for Craigavon Area Hospital’s maternity services which has been used to purchase a picture of the Carleton Maternity Hospital which will be displayed in the Antenatal Outpatients Department.
Thanking the Soroptimists for the donation, Roberta Brownlee, Chair of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said: “We are committed to delivering safe, high quality maternity care to women and babies. There are approximately 6000 births each year in the Southern Trust and around 4000 of these babies are born in Craigavon Area Hospital.
“We have seen many changes throughout the years as midwifery led and obstetric care have advanced and we are very proud of the maternity facilities now available to mothers both in our hospitals and in the community.
“We are delighted that the Soroptimists have given us this little bit of history to remind us of how these services have evolved and to pay tribute to the very important role that the Carleton Maternity Hospital and indeed Elizabeth Mason had to play in the lives of many women and babies over the years.”
The image for the picture was courtesy of Phylis Flanaghan.
Picture: Members of Soroptimists International presenting a picture of the Carleton Maternity Hospital to the Maternity team at Craigavon Area Hospital in memory of its last Matron Mrs Elizabeth Mason, with Karen Elliott Northern Ireland Regional and Lisburn President, Eleanor Ferris MBE Lurgan President and Chair of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust Roberta Brownlee.
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