Former National Maternity Hospital (NMH) Master and pro-choice advocate, Dr Peter Boylan, has claimed he is being “blocked” from physically attending the hospital’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) today.

Dr Boylan has in recent years campaigned publicly against the plan drawn up to move the hospital to a site at St Vincent’s University Hospital on the grounds that it might come under Catholic influence because the site was owned by the Religious Sisters of Charity. He plans to restate his objections, along with his call for the head of the board to resign, at the AGM.

However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, only a small number of the hospital’s 79 governors, along with key staff, are being allowed to attend the meeting.

The hospital organised a draw to select the governors who could attend, held in the offices of its legal advisers. Fourteen governors applied for the five available places.