FACT: For over 50 YEARS since 1971, Newry & Mourne LGD has ranked in the TOP 4 HIGHEST POPULATIONS in NI with Belfast, Lisburn (Greater Belfast) and Derry. (As verified by NISRA Statistics).
Based on the population size of Newry & Mourne LGD, (106,813 people in 2020 (NISRA) – Newry City should have a Major Specialist state of the art Acute hospital (as planned by Newry & Mourne Health & Social Services Trust) with the same specialist acute services, inpatient beds and diagnostics as Altnagelvin Hospital and Craigavon Hospital.
It should be noted that while Newry & Mourne Local Government District (LGD) has a similar population size to Derry LGD, Newry & Mourne LGD has ALWAYS had a Higher population size than Craigavon Local Government District.
DAISY HILL, NEWRY IS A GOVERNMENT DESIGNATED MAJOR ACUTE HOSPITAL
In 2003 it was finally acknowledged by the Department of Health, that with the 4th highest population in NI, Newry & Mourne was entitled to have a major functioning acute hospital based on assessed need.
Following Regional Consultation on the DoH’s Developing Better Services, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital Newry City was designated one of 9 Major Acute Hospitals which would form a network of Specialist Acute Hospitals across NI.
This ensured that no matter where anyone lived in NI every person would have equal access within one hour to 24/7 Consultant Led Accident and Emergency Services, and 24/7 Consultant Led Maternity Services in one of nine Acute Hospitals in a Regional “seamless web of care.”
The number of people living within a locality (LGD) is supposed to be the primary factor when commissioning health Services – so why has the highest population in the Southern Trust in Newry & Mourne LGD been abandoned by the Health Authorities who are paid to provide acute services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City?
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust (who replaced Newry & Mourne Health and Social Services Trust in 2007) never had any intention of re-developing Daisy Hill Hospital into the major acute hospital the population of Newry & Mourne were entitled to. They were only interested in redeveloping Craigavon hospital.
Consequently now in 2023 after repeated excuses and public statements the Southern Trust have managed to destroy the reputation of the brilliant hospital they inherited from N&MHSST. The Southern Trust’s centralisation agenda and the organisation’s own inability/or refusal to recruit and retain staff has taken its toll on staff in the hospital resulting in the major public health crisis the population of Newry & Mourne now finds itself in.
The men, women and children of the Newry & Mourne population should not have the fear and worry which comes from the consistent drastic reduction of specialist services and inpatient beds from the major specialist acute hospital Daisy Hill, Newry City.
The main graphic shows the Southern Trust area and its 2 Acute hospitals. Newry & Mourne has the largest land mass (898.3 square Km) of all the 5 localities in the Southern Trust area.
Since the Southern Trust took over admin of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital on 1st April 2007, Newry & Mourne has ALWAYS has the highest population, highest number of births and highest number of children u18 of all the 5 LGDs in the Southern Trust.
BACKGROUND – The organisation of Health Care in NI
The former 26 Councils or Local Government Districts (LGDS) or localities are still named in legislation and remain as the Operational area of NI Health Trusts (Establishment Order 2006) and Commissioning Groups. In the Southern Trust area, there are still FIVE LGDs named as shown below and in graphic.
The Five LGDs in Southern Trust in consistent order of size since Establishment of the Southern Trust on 1st April 2007 according to NISRA are:
>1st Newry & Mourne;
>2nd Craigavon;
>3rd Armagh:
>4th Dungannon:
>5th Banbridge
Total LGD population order of size: (NISRA 2020):
>1st Newry & Mourne: 106,813
>2nd Craigavon: 103,341
>3rd Armagh: 63,874
>4th Dungannon: 63,552
>5th Banbridge: 50,567
Total LGD population Under 18’s: in order of population size, (NISRA 2020):
>1st Newry & Mourne: 28,116
>2nd Craigavon: 25,804
>3rd Armagh: 16,334
>4th Dungannon: 16,938
>5th Banbridge: 12,274
Official Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) Statistics.
ACTION 1
For Related Information
For another article on populations, the hospitals of the region including Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry -see also : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2020/01/15/ni-health-crisis-cut-in-number-of-specialist-acute-hospitals-their-uneven-spread-since-1995-is-a-major-factor/
The concentrated support of Newry Mourne and Down Council, to call for action and proper treatment of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, the Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne and South Armagh is needed -for more info: https://wordpress.com/post/savedaisyhillhospital.com/3146
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