The terrifying attack took place in a restricted area of the Coombe Women and Infants Hospital in the early hours of last Thursday

A young midwife had a knife held to her throat during a late-night robbery at a Dublin maternity hospital.

A garda investigation has been launched into the incident at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital.

It is understood that an internal review of security may be carried out after it emerged that a keycode is needed to access the room where the robbery happened. The attacker - who was wearing a blue and red Adidas hoody - entered the south inner city maternity hospital at 2am on Thursday.

He later gained access to a restricted staff area - which is accessible only with a keycode - where he grabbed the midwife's bag.

When she tried to wrestle it from him, he produced a knife from his pocket and held it up to her throat. He then fled the scene with the bag.

Gardai were immediately informed of the robbery by hospital security workers.

A source said that an urgent review of security is under way.

"This has involved staff being told to take precautions when in the hospital," the source said.

"The intruder pulled the knife on the nurse in a restricted area of the hospital, one that can be accessed only with a keycode."

One theory being examined is that the intruder may have entered the hospital through an open window.

Emails have been circulated to staff in relation to keeping windows closed.

It is understood that the midwife was not injured during the incident, but has been left deeply upset by what happened. A spokesperson for the hospital said it was carrying out its own enquiries into the incident.

"An investigation is ongoing into an incident that occurred in a building adjacent to the hospital on Thursday morning last week," they said.

"The building does not contain any in-patient facilities, so none of the mothers and babies were at risk."

No suspect has been identified, but efforts are being made to nominate people of interest.

A garda spokesman confirmed that officers at Kevin Street Garda Station were carrying out an investigation into the robbery.

"No arrests have yet been made and investigations are ongoing," said the spokesman.

The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, which has been in operation for more than 200 years, provides care for women, mothers and infants in the Greater Dublin area as well as care at regional and national levels.

It is one of the biggest providers of women and infant health care in the country and more than 700 medical professionals work there.

More than 10,000 pregnant women receive care from the hospital every year, while more than 1,000 infants are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Centre.

Herald