WANT TO HELP DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL IN NEWRY & HELP ENSURE WE STILL HAVE LIFE-SAVING 24/7 EMERGENCY SURGICAL & MEDICAL SERVICES THERE IN THE FUTURE?

Yes, YOU CAN HELP make a difference to our future Hospital services in Newry City by answering the Dept of Health (DOH) consultation on Changes to Urgent and Emergency Services 2022 by Friday 1 July 2022 @ 5pm.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE PART IN THIS CONSULTATION

This Consultation proposes future Changes to How and Where we can access Emergency and Urgent Care services, and will soon involve changes to our existing services.  We all need to be involved in this or the new changes will be made without our input. 

This Consultation is about proposed Changes to Urgent and Emergency Care Services, and gives us a direct opportunity, while answering the Qs, to show the Department of Health how important it is to provide Emergency & Urgent Care services in Daisy Hill Hospital.

The Provider of Services in this area, the Southern Trust withdrew Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in March 2022 – and we would like this life-saving Emergency Care to be re-instated to Newry city.

This Department of Health Consultation places huge importance on an Action Plan called ‘No More Silos’ for future planning of Emergency services – but this No More Silos Plan was in place when the Southern Trust closed Daisy Hill’s ED during the pandemic to provide 3 EDs in Craigavon– so this is not the model of care best suited to our area. There is a real population-based need in the area and future Emergency & Urgent Care services must be commissioned for the Newry South Down and South Armagh Area Hospital -Daisy Hill, in Newry City.

 If you would like to help by Submitting a Response to the Urgent and Emergency Care Services Consultation, or are short on time and would like some ideas – please read the Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and this website

All Responses must be submitted before Friday 1st July 2022 @5pm.

HOW TO RETURN YOUR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE CONSULTATION BY EMAIL

When you have finished the form – check and save your answers, then log into your email account.

Select New Email, Add the Questionnaire File as an Attachment to your new email message (using either the Paperclip icon or Add Attachment)

The Email Address to send your completed Questionnaire is UECS@health-ni.gov.uk ,

Type UECS@health-ni.gov.uk into the To box of your New Email

Write your message and finally click Send

 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH NI CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS LINK

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-review-urgent-and-emergency-care-services-northern-ireland   

Closing Date:  Friday 1^st July 2022 at 5pm

WAYS TO RESPOND: 

 By Email > Send your completed Consultation Form by Email to :  UECS@health-ni.gov.uk

By Online Questionnaire > Using :

https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/review-of-urgent-and-emergency-care-services-in-no/

By Post > A hard copy of your response Questionnaire can also be sent to:

Department of Health, Regional Health Transformation Directorate, Annex 3, Castle Buildings, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SQ

Why Emergency & Urgent Care services must be provided in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry

1. DEMOGRAPHICS

Latest May 2022 figures* show Newry & District has the 2nd highest number of patients in NI registered with GP practices, (159,599) many suffering with serious illnesses who need Emergency & Urgent Care and specialist hospital services.   (Newry & District also has the 2nd highest number of Children U18 in NI). Without Daisy Hill ED there is no nearby alternative for Emergency or Urgent treatment for accidents which can happen on the road, work, home or school or during sport and leisure.   (* Background information at the end)

2. COST OF LIVING

Fuel prices are increasing – people cannot afford to drive or get taxis to Craigavon hospital if services are moved there.

3. ECONOMY & JOBS

We want to keep Jobs in our Newry South Down South Armagh Area Hospital and keep our skills-base and economy strong (Fair treatment and Employment Act).

4. CLIMATE CHANGE

Centralisation of services is bad for the Environment – puts extra cars on the road and increases carbon footprint. We are told to Shop Local to protect Economy and the Environment – why should hospital services be any different?

5. RURAL PROOFING

In 2009 the NI Executive committed to strive for a fair and inclusive rural society where rural dwellers enjoy the same quality of life as all others in the region.  There is a duty on public authorities to have due regard to rural needs ( Rural Needs Act 2016) – this must be shown by the DOH in how they commission Emergency and Urgent care services.

>Newry city needs a fully functioning acute hospital with a Type 1 ED providing Time Critical Emergency and Urgent care for its citizens.  Rates, taxes and national insurance contributions all go towards these services and you and your family are entitled to have a say where the services are provided.

*BACKGROUND 1

According to the GP Federation Register May 2022 (Source BSO)

>Newry & District has the Highest number of patients in NI with Heart Failure

>Newry & District has the 2nd Highest number of Patients in NI (after only Derry/L’Derry) with Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention, Osteoporosis and Depression

>Newry & District has the 3rd Highest number of Patients in NI (after Derry/L’Derry and Antrim) with Cancer, Coronary Heart Disease, Asthma, Hypertension (which can lead to heart and stroke), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes, and needing Palliative Care.

>Newry & District also has the 4th highest no of Patients in NI with Stroke, while Craigavon is 10th^. This must inform where stroke services are provided in NI.

(GP Registers are the main reliable source of info you can look at for actual illness present in a local or general area to find out if there is need to provide health services there and to what extent.). 

BACKGROUND 2

ROAD ACCIDENTS:

In 2020 Newry Mourne and Down (NMD) had the HIGHEST number of 

(1) Fatal collisions ,

(2) Serious collisions and

(3) Number of Seriously injured

according to Recorded Injury Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) statistics. Similar high statistics were recorded in previous years.

ROAD ACCIDENTS – CHILD CASUALITIES

U16 Child casualties following Road Traffic Collisions (Newry Mourne and Down):

In 2020/21 : NMD had the highest number of children seriously injured  and

highest number of children in NI KSI (killed or seriously injured) .

In 2019/20 NMD had joint highest no of children in NI killed,

2^nd highest no of road collisions in NI resulting in child injuries or deaths and

2^nd highest no of children in NI seriously injured after Belfast.

Similar high statistics were recorded since 2016/17. (Source: Recorded Injury Road Traffic Collisions statistics).

The evidence is all there – please take part in the Department of Health NI Urgent and Emergency Care Consultation 2022 and ask for Urgent and Emergency care services to be commissioned in the Newry South Down South Armagh Area Hospital, Daisy Hill in Newry city for us, our families and our future generations.  

You can keep making a difference for Daisy Hill!

Information on this and other similar topics is also available at the companion Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/ Please Follow or Like the Page to receive updates. Thank you.