by Admin 2

GP Registers show vital need for Daisy Hill, Newry as an Area Hospital with 24-7 Level 1 ED

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL NEWRY IS ENTITLED TO BE CATEGORISED AS AN AREA HOSPITAL – FACTS FROM GP REGISTERS

The case for RETAINING not WITHDRAWING specialist Acute Services and 24 /7 Consultant Led Emergency Services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City is very strong and evidence based.

This is why these Emergency and Specialist Acute services were always in Daisy Hill in the first place as recognised in 2003 under Developing Better Services Hospital Network Consultation when Daisy Hill was designated as one of 9 Acute Hospitals, of equal status, with 24/7 Consultant Led Emergency Surgical, Emergency Medical, and 24/7 Consultant- led Maternity Services.

But now it seems the case must be made again in the ongoing Department of Health Consultation “Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes’, – Why?

Because the Dept of Health, by downgrading Daisy Hill Acute Hospital has failed to recognise the health needs of Newry & District’s* large population size (which covers Newry, South Down and South Armagh areas), failed to take into account the strategic location of Newry and is proposing to make Daisy Hill into a General Hospital with limited services.

This CAN and must be challenged though the Public Consultation process by answering the questionnaire and promoting the need, without delay, for an Area Hospital in Newry.

This is the latest in a series of posts which aims to explain each of the reasons in turn which can be used for people taking part in the written consultation, who can disagree with conviction on the Dept. Of Health proposal for Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to be demoted into a General Hospital with limited services, and for the public to call instead for an Area Hospital in Newry.

An Area Hospital is needed to give the vast population of adults and children here (especially those who live in rural areas) timely equity of access to inpatient Emergency and Acute hospital services. Details on the Consultation and different categories of Hospital proposed are available from the DOH Website and from Daisy Hill for life website (See link at end)

>THERE ARE 161,308 PEOPLE ON DOCTORS REGISTERS IN NEWRY AND DISTRICT GP FEDERATION (DOH May 2024)

There are currently 17 GP Federations covering all areas of NI. One of their aims is to help deliver the Transformation Agenda in Health and Social Care. There are 29 Registered GP Practices in Newry & District GP Federation, covering Newry, South Down and South Armagh areas.

Newry & District GP Federation includes GP practices in Kilkeel, Crossmaglen, Annalong, Rathfriland, Killeavy, Newtownhamilton, Mullaghbawn, Bessbrook, Warrenpoint as well as Newry.

Out of the 17 GP federations in NI – Newry & District GP Federation has the second highest (161,308) number of registered patients (after only Derry GP Federation) since 2017 (Source: DOH 2023/24).

Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department is vital for stroke and life threatening emergencies

POPULATION HEALTH NEEDS IN NEWRY & DISTRICT – SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE WIDESPREAD

As well as the large population size, a second important reason, as shown in the picture/graphic is that many people living in Newry & District have a high incidence of serious health needs or health conditions including Heart Failure and Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, Cancer, Atrial Fibrillation, Hypertension and Kidney Disease. Many of these patients need and are entitled to have equitable timely access to 24/7 Consultant-Led Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care, High Dependency Care and Specialist Acute Inpatient Hospital care in Daisy Hill Hospital.

Data showing 15 health conditions on GP Registers in Newry & District show the vital need for Daisy Hill, Newry to be categorised as an Area Hospital with a 24/7 Level 1 ED as part of the proposed Regional network of hospitals. (Note: all 17 GP Federations have records for the same 15 health conditions*.)

An Area Hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED at Daisy Hill in Newry is vital to ensure better outcomes for survival and recovery of patients as well as giving timely equity of access also for other health conditions and in Emergency situations that may arise.

As shown in the graphic –in 2024 These GP Registers show that of 15 health conditions (recorded by all GP Federations*) Newry & District GP Federation has:

>*THE HIGHEST number. of patients with Heart Failure, Heart Failure due to Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction and Non- Diabetic Hyperglycaemia.

>*THE 3RD HIGHEST number of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease, Cancer, Atrial Fibrillation, Hypertension and Asthma (after only Derry and East Antrim).

>*THE 4TH HIGHEST number of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, Stroke, Diabetes and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

CONCLUSION

Of 17 GP Federations in NI – Newry & District GP Federation (covering Newry, South Down and South Armagh area) has the SECOND HIGHEST number of patients registered with GP Practices in NI since 2017 (161,308 patients ) with many patients having serious health needs.

If the Department of Health had used a Population Health Needs Assessment (at Trust/Local Commissioning Group level), with data on illnesses/conditions taken from the 17 GP Federations including Newry & District GP Federation, the DoH would have acknowledged that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry was entitled to be categorised as an Area Hospital.

PLEASE TAKE PART IN THE CONSULTATION

Please reply to DOH Hospital Network Consultation 2025 proposals and make the case for vital need for DAISY HILL AREA HOSPITAL.

Full information on the Consultation, and some Suggested answers to the Questionnaire are available from the LINK below:

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/05/dept-of-health-hospital-network-consultation-2024-2025-a-suggested-response/

Please Share this post if you can, to spread the word. Thank you.

BACKGROUND/ LARGE POPULATION SIZE IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

Newry & District GP patient register includes 36,018 children and young people aged U18, the 2^nd highest of the 17 GP Federations after only Derry (Source: DOH 2023/24).

*(Source DOH: published May 2024)

ENDS

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.

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01.26.25

by Admin 2

Daisy Hill, Newry is entitled to be in the ‘Area Hospital’ Category in the DOH Hospital Network Public Consultation 2024/25

YOU DID IT BEFORE – YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN –PEOPLE POWER NEEDED FOR DAISY HILL HOSPITAL , NEWRY.

Daisy Hill Hospital Newry is entitled to be an Area Hospital in the Department of Health Hospital Network Consultation 2024-2025.

In 2019, you did it – over 19, 500 people sent back Consultation Reponses disagreeing with Department of Health plans to cut the existing number of Stroke Units in NI and centralise stroke services to as few as sites as possible.

People power here worked after thousands filled in the Questionnaire with 95% rejecting the options, with concerns about longer travel times in an emergency. Following this consultation – the Health Minister Robin Swann MLA said stronger evidence was needed – so change can happen if we write in large numbers to these consultations.

In 2024/5 there is a new plan as the Department of Health now proposes to go way beyond centralising Stroke services and proposes changes to the whole Regional Hospital Network. This plan puts Hospitals in NI into four categories: Local, General, Area Hospitals and Specialist Regional Centres.

In the Department of Health Consultation document ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’, the majority of Specialist Inpatient Services for example Stroke, Emergency Surgery etc are proposed to be centralised to 5 newly chosen Area Hospitals (at Antrim, Altnagelvin, Craigavon, Ulster and Belfast Group Hospitals) and Specialist Regional Centres (at Altnagelvin, Ulster Hospital and Belfast Hospitals) (*Ref1)

In these proposals Daisy Hill Hospital (Newry); South West (Enniskillen) and Causeway (Coleraine) are to be known as ‘General Hospitals’. (Very different from the new proposed ‘Area Hospitals’)

The Government now wants to consult with the public who are paying for the service, to see if they agree with these new proposals.

DAISY HILL HAS BEEN PUT IN THE WRONG CATEGORY OF ‘GENERAL’ HOSPITAL – BUT THIS CAN BE CHANGED IF ENOUGH PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH THE NEW CONSULTATION PROPOSALS

As mentioned before, only 5 places have been selected to be upgraded to be higher level ‘Area Hospitals’ – they are: Craigavon, Antrim, Altnagelvin, Ulster and Belfast Group Hospitals. “These Area Hospitals will maintain a 24/7 emergency department, a 24/7 emergency surgery and anaesthetic rota and theatre, and be supported by a critical care unit.” (Consultation Doc p35/37pdf) Annex D also states Area Hospitals will be expected to have 31 specialty services with inpatient beds. (Page 106/8)

What about the General Hospitals?

Information on the limited services expected to be available from ‘General hospitals’ can be read in the Consultation document ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’ from the Department of Health’s website. (See pages 23, 34-36, and 113)

In the document’s very important Actions page (p113, See Action 4) –it is rather concerning that the words ‘Short to Medium Term’*(Ref 2) are used when referring to maintaining core services in the ‘General Hospital’ category. And it is the Hospital Trusts who will be in charge of this.

Are core services not going to be maintained for the Long Term in the General Hospitals then? No other Hospital Category is dealt with in this way in the Actions Page.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry has been incorrectly put in the ‘General Hospital’ category in this new report which also falsely describes the Newry area as a small ‘isolated’ geographical location and community (*(Ref 3) See pages 6,23, 34).

The Department of Health report fails to recognise the consistently large population size, recorded illness statistics needs and large land mass area in the Newry & District area.

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry must be given the long overdue investment and specialist inpatient services it and the rate-paying and tax paying population here deserves.

Your help is needed to answer the Consultation through the Questionnaire and let the Dept of Health know that they have put Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry into the wrong category –due to the population size, need and land mass here.

We must challenge these unfair proposals. In Health and Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together (p19) First Minister and former Health Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA stated “Our HSC system belongs to all of us and we all bring valuable insights in to how it can improve. We must work in partnership – patients, services users, families’ staff and politicians – in doing so we co-produce lasting change which benefits us all.” *(Ref 4)

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL & NEEDS YOUR HELP – PLEASE DISAGREE WITH THE CONSULTATION PROPOSALS

We have a right to continue to challenge, at every opportunity, these vital healthcare decisions. Please take part in the Consultation and Strongly disagree with the proposals, stating in the Questionnaire that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry is entitled to be and should be categorised as an ‘Area Hospital’ along with the other Area Hospitals.

Please ask everyone in your house to take part take part in this public Consultation too and please ask your friends, family and community and Elected Representatives- councillors, MLAs and MPs to do the same.

IMPORTANT – See this Link below to Daisy Hill Hospital for life website for all links to Department of Health Consultation, Questionnaire and Suggested Answers (to read and/or use if you agree) with instructions and Source References.

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/05/dept-of-health-hospital-network-consultation-2024-2025-a-suggested-response/

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry Saves Lives - People Power 2023

5 EVIDENCE BASED REASONS WHY DAISY HILL HOSPITAL IN NEWRY IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL

>Reason 1 – Population fact 1: Out of 17 GP Federations in NI, Newry & District GP Federation has the Second highest number of patients (161,308) registered after only Derry GP Federation since 2017. (Source: DOH 2023/24).

Newry & District includes 36,018 children and young people aged U18, the 2^nd highest of the 17 GP Federations after only Derry (Source: DOH 2023/24).

>Reason 2 – Population fact 2: Newry & Mourne Local Government District (One of 26 Former Councils) RANKED IN THE TOP FOUR HIGHEST POPULATION CENTRES In NI after only Belfast, Derry and Lisburn. (From 1971 to 2014)

>Reason 3> Population fact 3: Newry & Mourne LGD has ALWAYS HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION of the 5 LGDS in the operational area of Southern Trust. (Source NISRA). The 5 LGDS are Newry & Mourne, Craigavon, Armagh, Dungannon and Banbridge.

>Reason 4 – Landmass fact : Newry & Mourne local government district area alone has the 3RD LARGEST LANDMASS in NI (898.3 Sq Km: Source NISRA).

>Reason 5: NEWRY CITY’S STRATEGIC LOCATION. Newry City could not be in a more pivotal position. NEWRY CITY is a Gateway and Main Hub in the Spatial Framework for NI to 2035. Newry is midway on the route from Belfast to Dublin on the TENS Key Transport Corridor.

It is also on the North Sea- Mediterranean Corridor: Cork> Dublin > NEWRY > BELFAST > Larne. The Eastern Seaboard Corridor is the Strategic Route linking Larne to the Border at Newry via Belfast facilitating onward travel to Dublin and the Port of Rosslare. Newry is a Gateway City to the Ring of Gullion and the Mournes (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Gateway to the new Ring of Gullion Mourne and Sperrins UNESCO Heritage site.

Newry is so busy they are prepared to spend over £94 million on the Southern Traffic Relief Road but not on a Major hospital for potential road accidents, residents and visitors. Warrenpoint, close to Newry is the 2nd largest Port in NI.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry is entitled to be an Area Hospital due to the consistently high population size, need and land mass area in Newry & District. in the Department of Health's new public Consultation ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’ Daisy Hill Acute Hospital has been wrongly put into the wrong Hospital category of general Hospital. Public help is needed to answer through the Questionnaire and let the Department know this and make Daisy Hill an Area Hospital, like the other Area Hospitals.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/ REFERENCES

*Ref. 1. Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes. Department of Health, (October 2024). Main Consultation document, Hospital Categories (Pages – pdf pg no. p23-25)

*Ref. 2. Action 4 states that “Consideration to be given to how in the short to medium term HSC Trusts can work in collaboration to maintain these core General Hospital services.” Creating a Network for better outcomes. Department of Health, October 2024. Main Consultation document, (pdf pg no p113)

*Ref. 3 Description of General Hospitals in ‘Creating a Network for better outcomes’. (Department of Health, October 2024,) the word ‘isolated’ is used 3 times describing the ‘location’ and ‘community’ of the 3 named proposed ‘General hospitals’: Causeway Hospital, Daisy Hill Hospital and South West Hospital (Pages 6, 23, 34).

P6/23 : “General Hospitals, delivering defined secondary care services including unscheduled care, geared to a specific, more ISOLATED geographical location…”

P34/ “What and Where: General Hospitals” – …… These hospitals have a key role in ensuring our system can respond to the challenges of an aging population, delivering a range of acute and rehabilitation services, with the advantage that they are closer to an otherwise more ISOLATED community.”]

*Ref. 4. Health and Wellbeing 2026 – Delivering Together – Department of Health, (October 2016.) (p19)

*Definition –‘Centralise’ “concentrate under one control” (Collins English Dictionary)

Northern Ireland Ambulances Saves Lives - Daisy Hill Hospital Saves Lives

For Suggested Answers to the Questionnaire and more info on this current consultation please see : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/05/dept-of-health-hospital-network-consultation-2024-2025-a-suggested-response/

Want to know how else you can help? – please see: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/how-you-can-help/

Nuffield Trust Report recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

Nuffield Trust Report 2023 Recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

The independent think tank Nuffield Trust were commissioned by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to report on ‘how care might be improved at the Daisy Hill (DH) site.’ and review services. This Nuffield Trust Report* dated 31 March 2023 sent to Dr Maria O’Kane, Chief Executive of the Southern Trust provides key findings and suggestions for building a sustainable model of care at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. One of the main recommendations in the Nuffield Trust Report was that there should be:

‘Bolstering of the DH site through provision of some hyper-specialist services (e.g., stroke), as well as regular outpatient clinics in each specialty on site.’ (Page 4)

As well as this recommendation emphasising the need for Specialist services like Hyper Acute Stroke in Daisy Hill Hospital, the Nuffield Trust Report emphasises the importance of Critical Care Services in Daisy Hill (e.g. the High Dependency Unit) and for Outpatient Clinics in each specialty on the DHH site.

The Nuffield Trust also discusses staffing considerations across the Southern Trust’s TWO acute Hospitals, at Daisy Hill, Newry and at Craigavon. (*A link to the full report is available in References/Links below.)

CONCLUSION

BOLSTERING OF HYPER-SPECIALIST SERVICES IN DAISY HILL, NEWRY IS NEEDED TO SAVE LIVES

In their Report of March 2023 following their review, the Nuffield Trust came to the conclusion that there was need for more Hyperacute services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry stating Daisy Hill Hospital should be bolstered with Hyper-Specialist services e.g. stroke. (See p4)

Looking at the illness prevalence on the list of patients in the 17 GP Federations across NI it can be seen why bolstering of Hyper-Specialist services in Daisy Hill Acute hospital, Newry is necessary to save lives. An official Needs assessment will also back this up, as Dept of Health illness stats by area detailed below show.

ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

According to GP Registers in 2023 Newry & District GP Federation had the HIGHEST number in NI of patients on their register for Heart Failure (2,060 patients);also THIRD HIGHEST of the 17 GP Federation Registers for Hypertension (21,465 patients); Cancer (4,582 patients); Coronary Heart Disease (5,259 patients); Asthma (9,613 patients); Chronic Kidney disease (6,434 patients) and Atrial Fibrillation (3,258 patients).

Newry & District Federation also had fourth highest number of patients in NI with Stroke (2,680 patients) after GP Federations in Derry (3,991 patients) East Antrim (3,282), South West (2,749). (Source: DOH 2023)

THE NUFFIELD TRUST SAYS – URGENT NEED FOR SOUTHERN TRUST EXECUTIVE TEAM TO COMMIT TO THE DAISY HILL SITE

The Nuffield Trust Report also advised the Southern Trust that Public commitment to Daisy Hill Hospital from the Southern Trust Executive Team was urgently needed, writing:

1.Public commitment to the DH Site – There is an urgent need for the Executive Team to commit to the DH site and to a long-term plan for the two sites to be developed.’
(Page 4)

As recommended by the impartial Nuffield Trust Report, the Southern Trust Executive Team needs to make a firm commitment to Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and develop a long term plan for its future development.

Back in 2005 Labour Secretary of State to NI Peter Hain MP said that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry should have full investment and development, and as the people here will testify, it is long, long overdue.

REFERENCES AND LINKS

*The full Nuffield Trust Report 31st March 2023 can be read in the preview below or downloaded by clicking on the Download button underneath :

Nuffield-Trust-review-of-Northern-Ireland-provision-of-hospital-care (1) – Copy Download

(This report is also available from the Southern Trust website.)

Who are the Nuffield Trust?

“The Nuffield Trust is an independent health think tank. We aim to improve the quality of health care in the UK by providing evidence-based research and policy analysis and informing and generating debate.” https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/about/what-we-do

POPULATION INFORMATION

Newry & District’s very large population size is proven by official data, as in 2023 Newry & District has the 2nd highest number of patients on GP registers in NI (with 160,615) after only Derry, including the 2nd highest number of children in NI under 18, with (36,228 ): (Source DOH 2023).

Newry Mourne and Down is the 3rd largest Council in NI with a population of 182,634.This includes 45,193 children under 18 and 31,473 over the age of 65 (NISRA 2022).

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital Emergency Department serves the entire area of Newry and Mourne and South Armagh the largest popultation in the Southern Trust

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com (Daisy Hill Hospital for Life) and Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you. We welcome sharing.

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Campaign to enhance Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry for future generations

Author Archives: Admin 2

Nuffield Trust Report recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

REFERENCES AND LINKS

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DAISY HILL HAS BEEN PUT IN THE WRONG CATEGORY OF ‘GENERAL’ HOSPITAL – BUT THIS CAN BE CHANGED IF ENOUGH PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH THE NEW CONSULTATION PROPOSALS

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ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

REFERENCES AND LINKS

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