Tag Archives: A&E

05.08.23
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Transformed before your very eyes – is the Plan for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City to be replaced by a Regional Planned Surgery Centre?

It was confirmed by the Clinicians at the recent Emergency Surgery public meeting on the 22nd March 2023 in the Canal Court, Newry that the Southern Trust and Department of Health’s plan is to turn Daisy Hill Specialist Acute hospital into a Regional Elective (planned surgery) Centre. 

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital had been previously designated by Government to provide timely access to 24/7 Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Services and Consultant led Maternity Services but the Southern Trust’s Chief Executive confirmed that ‘plans to turn the hospital into an elective overnight stay centre were progressing’ at the Canal Court Hotel public meeting.

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BECOME A REGIONAL ELECTIVE CARE CENTRE?

Department of Health (DoH) Reports are clear on how they intend to provide elective care (planned surgery rather than Emergency or unplanned treatment). “Hospitals designated as Elective Care Centres will be used for outpatient assessments, diagnostics, day surgery or short stay inpatient surgery UNINTERRUPTED BY EMERGENCY ADMISSIONS.”

The Patient and Client Council have stated that “Elective care centres are specialist STANDALONE units DEDICATED PURELY to the delivery of PLANNED assessment and treatment…In practice, this means providing more treatment on a smaller number of specially designed standalone sites by moving this activity away from the busiest hospital sites.”

If Elective care centres are DEDICATED PURELY to the delivery of PLANNED assessment and treatment (for Regional Consultants and their patients) – what other specialist acute inpatient care services will be provided in Daisy Hill, Newry City FOR THE LONG TERM FUTURE for the 159,599 adults and children on Newry and District GP Registers, should it become an elective care centre? These specialist acute services should include 24/7 Type 1 Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medicine, inpatient paediatric services, HDU, Diagnostics, Maternity etc and clinical staff and inpatient beds (other than for Elective care)

2 STEPS ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A REGIONAL ELECTIVE CENTRE:

STEP 1: REMOVE EMERGENCY SURGERY / STEP 2: REMOVE MORE ACUTE SERVICES 

 (1) The Trust controversially withdrew the life saving Emergency Surgery service from Daisy Hill in Newry city, in Feb 2022 requiring all Southern Trust patients to travel to Craigavon Hospital.  Having after being withdrawn temporarily, the Trust now proposes all life saving Emergency Surgery will be permanently withdrawn from Newry City and will be only provided only in future in Craigavon. This withdrawal of Emergency Surgery service will also assist in the plan to prepare to turn Daisy Hill Hospital into a Regional elective centre.

 (2) The Trust’s next plan is to REMOVE other acute services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and send these services to a Community Treatment Centre in Newry. This was announced by Future Group Chairman Dr Patterson at the Canal Court public meeting describing the arrangement with the phrase to “free up space.” (This community centre will be privately and not HSC owned).

>IS THE PLAN FOR DAISY HILL TO BECOME A REGIONAL ELECTIVE CARE CENTRE INSTEAD OF A SPECIALIST ACUTE HOSPITAL?

If so, this proposal is a HUGE change of purpose for Newry & District’s designated Acute Hospital, at Daisy Hill, Newry.  This means that any Regional Surgeon, (either NHS or from a Private hospital),  will come to Daisy Hill for planned (elective) operations on their own regional patients from anywhere in NI  using the existing  operating theatres, beds, staff, and equipment in Daisy Hill. 

Controversial changes such as the change in Status/purpose of ANY of the 9 designated NI Acute Hospitals in NI (including Daisy Hill) from a Specialist Acute Hospital to a Regional Elective Care Centre must go to DOH NI wide Regional public consultation before any such decisions are made.

POPULATION FACTS : THE NEWRY & MOURNE LOCALITY IS THE HIGHEST POPULATION IN THE SOUTHERN TRUST AREA

The former Newry & Mourne locality is one of 5 local government districts in the Southern Trust operational area. Newry & Mourne (which includes South Armagh) IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN the highest population in the Southern Trust. This population (along with other neighbouring areas and visitors) is served by Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry. 

The NI public pay for Health and Social Care services through Regional Rates bills, Taxes and National Insurance deductions from their wages. The public must be consulted and asked to agree /approve changes to services for which they are paying and have paid to maintain – especially Changes that involve Withdrawal of services from a designated NI Acute Hospital. 

CONCLUSION:


REGIONAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION IS REQUIRED BEFORE DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL  IS CHANGED TO A REGIONAL  ELECTIVE CARE CENTRE

This is potentially unacceptable further withdrawal of specialist acute hospital services from Daisy Hill Hospital on a massive scale without Consultation or any due regard to the NI Rural Needs Act 2016, Equality Legislation, Fair Treatment and Employment 1998 or Change or Withdrawal of Services and population needs assessment .

Any change in Status/purpose of Daisy Hill from Acute Hospital to Regional Elective Care Centre dressed up as ‘transformation’ or ‘reconfiguration’ must be challenged by the Public and all Elected Representatives who believe In Equality and Timely Access to Healthcare in Newry & Mourne- South Down and South Armagh. This cannot go ahead without NI wide Regional Consultation for scrutiny and evaluation by the NI Assembly and public alike under the 2009 Act before any such decisions are made.

To end the uncertainty surrounding Daisy Hill, and for more information on plans for Newry’s Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and elective care centres –you can ask the local representatives on the Southern Local Commissioning Group, the Southern Trust, DoH NI, and Patient Client Council.

These organisations should be able to clarify and explain in detail what future plans they have for Daisy Hill Hospital and whether the concerns written about here are valid.

Newry South Down and South Armagh Area Hospital -Daisy Hill, Newry City.

References and Further Reading:

Patient Client Council, Elective Care in Northern Ireland, 10th July 2019.

 Main DoH NI Elective Care Framework links :   

   
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/elective-care-framework-restart-recovery-and-redesign 

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/doh-elective-care-framework-restart-recovery-redesign.pdf  (*pgs 24, 63, 74, 75)

Elective Care Framework Restart, Recovery and Redesign 2021

Elective Care, is care that is planned in advance as opposed to Emergency or unplanned treatment. (p24: *Elective Care Framework Restart, Recovery and Redesign 2021).


“This requires commitment from all Trusts that in sites identified as regional elective care centres, that BEDS AND STAFF must be RING FENCED for the delivery of regional elective care.” (p63 *Elective Care Framework Restart, Recovery and Redesign 2021)

“Partnerships and cross-sector collaboration are ESSENTIAL. New services or interventions created, or existing ones that are transformed, WILL NOT ALWAYS BE HSC OWNED.” (p74 *Elective Care Framework Restart, Recovery and Redesign )


“We need more sites providing dedicated elective services that are ENTIRELY SEPARATE from unscheduled care.” ( p75 *Elective Care Framework Restart, Recovery and Redesign )   

More References and further reading to follow soon

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Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.
12.16.18
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2 NEW CT SCANNERS required NOW for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital ED

2 CT Scanners for Daisy Hill Hospital Newry city now

The Southern Trust needs to act at once to provide 2 CT Scanners as part of the VITAL diagnostic imaging services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry city to meet their statutory duty of care and honour the promises they made in official statements (during the 2014 Stroke Consultation).

It is imperative that a NEW permanent replacement CT scanner and a second NEW CT scanner get Commissioner Approval and are installed AT ONCE in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital to give access to life saving DIAGNOSTIC treatment to save the lives of stroke and heart patients and for other medical emergencies.

IMAGING REVIEW

The Imaging Review Consultation stated the need FOR TWO CT scanners in 24/7 Emergency Departments to ensure resilience when one scanner breaks down so that another one is readily available – when patients URGENTLY need a CT scan.

Every second counts in getting a CT scan to save patients lives and give better outcomes for stroke and heart and other critical medical conditions.

CT SCANNING NEEDED TO CONFIRM TYPE OF STROKE – whether bleed or clot.

computer-tomography-image - CT scanner for Daisy Hill Hospital 2018

 

Major research into the Stroke pathway confirms the importance of diagnostic CT scanning to eliminate brain bleed for suitability for thrombolysis.

The Southern Trust needs to use the same urgent priority planning to address the needs for provision of imaging services for the Newry & Mourne population (the largest locality population in the Southern Trust), as well as addressing the needs of the Craigavon population, which has only the second largest Locality population in the Southern Trust.

In Craigavon, as the Trust Delivery Plan shows, advanced plans are already in place, with Commissioner Approval, for 2 NEW CT scanners, a new twin CT screening room and 1 more NEW MRI scanner. (Two NEW MRI scanners were already installed in Craigavon Hospital in 2014 and 2015).

REFRESH SOUTHERN TRUST IMAGING PLANS

The promises made in a series of official statements, three of which are detailed below, cannot be honoured by the Southern Trust without the provision of continuous CT scanning facilities in Daisy Hill ED, Newry City.

These promises can only be kept if the Southern Trust plan well in advance for replacement CT scanners so that the 7 year Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) recommended replacement timescale for functional life of a CT scanner is adhered to in Daisy Hill, in the same urgent manner as imaging services are planned for in Craigavon Hospital.

The Southern Trust’s IMAGING Plans must be refreshed to change the designated “non priority” for replacement of Daisy Hill’s existing CT scanner to “CAPITAL PRIORITY” and for a second new CT Scanner also as a “Capital Priority.”

The following promises were made by Southern Trust Personnel in Documents as listed below:

>STATEMENT 1:

‘STROKE CARE PROMISE’ (Newry Reporter: 27/08/2014)

“Emergency Treatment (for Stroke) will always be around the clock. If a clot busting drug is required, ….we aim to deliver a door to needle time of 60 minutes INCLUDING A CT SCAN PROVIDED AT BOTH HOSPITALS.”

(Southern Trust Director of Acute Services, Newry Reporter: 27 Aug 2014, Front page p 1, p 4)

>STATEMENT 2:

“Patients who have suffered a stroke will always get IMMEDIATE DIAGNOSIS and emergency treatment, including thrombolysis AT BOTH of our Emergency Departments in Daisy Hill Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital. This will ensure we can continue to achieve a ‘door to needle’ time of 60 minutes for thrombolysis.”

(Southern Trust Stroke Consultation Document, p.14, June 2014)

>STATEMENT 3:

“People with symptoms of stroke are always taken first to the Emergency Department in either Daisy Hill Hospital or Craigavon Area Hospital for ASSESSMENT and treatment and our proposals would NOT change this”.

(Chief Executive of the Southern Health Trust, Launch of the Stroke Consultation, Southern Trust Press release 19/06/2014.)

CALL FOR ACTION FROM SOUTHERN TRUST NOW

A NEW permanent replacement CT scanner and a second NEW CT scanner must now be a CAPITAL PRIORITY, get Commissioner Approval, and be installed immediately in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital to give access to life saving DIAGNOSTIC treatment to save the lives of stroke and heart patients and for other medical emergencies.

Investment in CT and MRI scanners essential for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

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© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2017. We welcome sharing of excerpts & links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

 

08.02.17
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Balanced Representation for Newry and Mourne population essential before Daisy Hill Hospital ED Pathfinder discussions

Balanced Representation for the population of Newry & Mourne is essential – before any initial Daisy Hill Hospital Pathfinder discussions on future Consultant led 24/7 Emergency Services and Acute services in Newry City.

 After initial inspection of the membership of the Pathfinder Project Group from the documents – we assert that it is unfairly balanced in favour of the Southern Trust (SHSCT)/Board management in overall membership. (See PIE CHART 1)

Initial suggested membership of Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department Pathfinder Group is unfairly balanced in favour of the Southern Trust and Health Board management

REDRESS THE BALANCE

To redress the planning and decision making balance, we are suggesting some immediate changes to the make-up of this Pathfinder Group before any community involvement is even considered, to ensure a level playing field with equal voting rights. This will ensure that community involvement is meaningful and actually impacts upon the decision making and is not merely a box ticking exercise.

NEED FOR EQUAL REPRESENTATION

As the Southern Trust Management feel they are entitled to choose 13 members including the Chair, we are also entitled to choose an EQUAL number of members representing the community of patients, service users, families, staff and politicians, from the Newry, Mourne and South Armagh Locality. (See PIE CHART 2)

Redress the balance of Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department Pathfinder Group with an equal number of members representing the community of patients, service users, families, staff and politicians, from the Newry, Mourne and South Armagh Locality

We need to make sure that this is a proper forum and not just a communications pilot exercise by the Southern Trust in their attempt to implement the criteria from the Bengoa Report and the Transformation Implementation Group’s agenda.

There is a responsibility on all sides to ensure the community’s views are gathered, recorded and represented fairly.

CONCLUSION

In view of the seriousness of the threat of change / withdrawal of life-saving ACUTE AND EMERGENCY Services for both children and adults; we are entitled to full consultation and fair representation on the Daisy Hill Hospital Pathfinder Group as shown in Pie Chart 2. The Pathfinder Group is also known as the ‘SHSCT Task and Finish Group.’

Why have we not been given a level playing field in voting rights and a proper consultation?  We need to be assured of equal voting rights and proper consultation immediately.

This is not an ‘exciting project’ for us – we are the people who will bear the brunt of the removal of ED services which deals with all life threatening Emergencies WHERE EVERY MINUTE COUNTS. The present and future lives and outcomes of everyone who needs ACUTE and ED Services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital are worth fighting for.

We should not have to fight to get Acute & ED services which we have paid for, and is our right.

Background info:

Project Name: Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department Pathfinder Project With Identification of Regional Learning.

You can follow the Daisy Hill Acute Hospital campaign also by visiting and liking our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/ – Thank you.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2017. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

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07.26.17
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DAISY HILL HOSPITAL ED PATHFINDER PROJECT – PROPOSALS 1

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

The people of Newry & Mourne have been invited to take part in Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Pathfinder meetings with Dr Anne-Marie Telford to discuss how they can work with the Southern Trust:

“to develop a long term plan which will stabilise, safeguard and sustain local emergency care services.” 

We have some thoughts and proposals on this for you to consider – Are these meetings, instead of just being about the Emergency Department – also part of a verbal consultation by the Southern Trust and Health and Social Care Board that starts us on the Bengoa Report Reform, which includes the further change/withdrawal of services, without telling us?

It seems likely, as the Bengoa Report places Emergency & urgent care as Priority 1 : in most need of reform.

In this post we would like to suggest some questions which need answers, and put forward proposals for readers to consider. We think the proposals could be a good starting point to help tackle this concern.

hospital corridor

 

WHAT WILL THE COMMUNITY GAIN FROM TAKING PART IN THE PATHFINDER PROJECT?

What difference will these August meetings make to secure PERMANENT, LONG TERM Consultant- led 24/7 EMERGENCY & ACUTE services in Newry, Mourne and South Armagh Area Acute Hospital – Daisy Hill?

We request that the Southern Trust and Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) explain urgently to the public exactly what they are asking us to support by participating in the Pathfinder Project.  As it is not clear, we request the SHSCT and HSCB to publicly tell us what’s in it for us and WHAT IS AT STAKE before they ask us to participate in individual interviews with Dr Telford.

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

Proposals to help deal with the unanswered questions

WHAT WE CALL FOR:  (PROPOSAL 1)

(1) The Health Board/Trust /Public Health Authority host a PUBLIC MEETING in Newry City with the following agenda:

(a) To inform the public the clear purpose of the Pathfinder Project

(b) To give a clear explanation on exactly which services are being ‘changed or withdrawn’ from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital.

(c) Explain what progress the SHSCT recruitment team have made to date, with regard to recruitment for Daisy Hill Emergency Department.

(d) Tell us what Questions will be asked in the verbal interviews with Dr Anne-Marie Telford.

WHAT WE CALL FOR:  (PROPOSAL 2)

(2) We would like A FULL WRITTEN CONSULTATION (as part of the first 20 weeks of the Pathfinder Project) so we can make an informed decision before participating.

The 2 Proposals explained

(1) PUBLIC MEETING, hosted by the Health and Social Care Board/ Public Health Authority/ Southern Trust,  required to be held in Newry City to address and answer the following 4 important Questions.

(1a)What is the PURPOSE of the Pathfinder Project?

Before we consider participation in the Pathfinder Project – it would be mutually beneficial if the Southern Trust (SHSCT), Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Public Health Authority hold a public meeting in Newry City (in a suitable large venue) where they can openly explain to the wider public, hospital staff and Unions exactly what is the clear purpose of the Pathfinder Project. This is an opportunity for the SHSCT and HSCB to explain to the public their future long term plans for Newry Mourne and South Armagh Area Acute Hospital – Daisy Hill.

(1B) WHICH DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL SERVICES WILL BE AFFECTED?

Rather than using the blanket terms of ‘Acute and Emergency services’ in the Pathfinder Project Documents – we request that the Southern Trust and HSCB explain to us in plain language and define exactly which ‘ACUTE AND EMERGENCY CARE’ services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital will be affected and will they be  changed or withdrawn?

Does the term ‘unscheduled care needs’ or ‘Acute and Emergency Care ’ mean all  scenarios including  children’s emergency, emergency surgery, stroke, heart, unavoidable accidents (work, school, home  and sporting accidents)? Does this also include emergency treatment for car accident victims and emergency caesareans where there is only 30 minutes to save the life of mother and baby? Under EU directives there must be a functioning hospital for mothers and babies. In addition – what ACUTE SERVICES are being affected?

What progress have the Southern Trust recruitment team made to date recruiting for Daisy Hill Emergency department?

(1C) WHAT PROGRESS HAVE THE RECRUITMENT TEAM MADE?

As the original issue publicly reported by the Southern Trust was RECRUITMENT of medical staff for DHH at night in the Summer months – At this public meeting we need to see the continued detailed efforts of the SHSCT Recruitment Team in finding medical staff for Daisy Hill ACUTE HOSPITAL. This must include the detailed job adverts for Craigavon Hospital as well as for Daisy Hill Hospital.

1 (d) We would also like the public meeting to advise us what Questions will be asked in the verbal meetings with Dr Anne-Marie Telford and how will this information be recorded/collated? How will this information be reported back to the Pathfinder group? What impact will it have?

(2) WE REQUEST A FULL WRITTEN CONSULTATION, and not just a verbal consultation

– a written consultation is our right under ‘Change or Withdrawal’ of services. While some may welcome the opportunity to attend a face to face consultation, not everyone will be able, or available to attend the meetings so there must be a written option too.

As part of ‘meaningful consultation’ – Under the 2009 Act on ‘change or withdrawal of services’ – we are entitled to 3 months WRITTEN PUBLIC CONSULTATION so we can make an informed decision BEFORE we participate in the Pathfinder Project. This written consultation must be included as part of the first 20 week period – as a ‘final decision’ is being made after 20 weeks. We need to know what impact will this ‘final decision’ have on ‘acute and emergency care services’ in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City?

As part of this consultation document the Southern Trust and the HSCB should tell us in writing, exactly what service change they are planning and why, in clear terms.

We require a full written consultation for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital Emergency Pathfinder Project

A comparison with the Consultation into the Belfast Trust’s change in Adult Emergency Department services

This WRITTEN CONSULTATION must include OPTIONS for possible reconfiguration of services as was undertaken by the HSCB Board for withdrawal of Adult Emergency services in the urban areas of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust when ED services were only being moved (approx 1.2 miles down the road) from the City Hospital to the Royal. It is vital to note that in the Belfast consultation, the children’s emergency services were not threatened with closure. The HSCB Consultation in Belfast included detailed written explanation for the public.

Newry & Mourne, as the largest locality in the Southern Trust should have the same written public consultation as the population of the Belfast Trust – now- at the start of this 80 week project for the public to be meaningful involved from the start.

CONCLUSION

The united community of Newry and Mourne works together for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital

CALL TO ACTION: If you agree with these proposals/ideas:

Please write to the Chairperson/Mayor of Newry, Mourne & Down Council; Councillor Roisin Mulgrew and also to all our MPs, MLAs and Councillors who represent us, and ask for the following:

  1.  A PUBLIC MEETING hosted by the Health and Social Care Board/ Public Health Authority/ Southern Trust in Newry City addressing the 4 points in this post above.
  2. A written public consultation to accompany the Pathfinder Project in addition to the verbal meetings.

REFERENCES & CONTACT INFO for public representatives:

Newry Mourne & Down Council

Mayor of Newry, Mourne & Down Council; Councillor Roisin Mulgrew

By Post: Newry, Mourne & Down Council, Monaghan Row, Newry, BT35 8DJ, Northern Ireland.
By Email: roisin.mulgrew@nmandd.org
Newry, Mourne and Down Council Telephone: 0300 013 2233

Chief Executive; Mr Liam Hannaway at the same address or by email, care of: info@nmandd.org

Elected members (Councillors) :

http://www.newrymournedown.org/elected_members

MLAs; MP; MEPs

A List of our MLAs and MP, MEPs is available to view at: Write to them website

Newry & Armagh MLAs

Contact info: http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/contacts.aspx

From this page, Filter by Constituency > Newry & Armagh

Then select Address> Constituency Offices for local contact addresses for MLAs.

Please EMAIL your councillors MLAs and MPs to support Daisy Hill Acute Hospital

Thank you for reading this post. Please share the proposals if you agree. We must all stay united and continue to support Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and its wonderful dedicated staff.

You can follow the Daisy Hill Acute Hospital campaign also by visiting and liking our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/ – Thank you.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2017. We welcome the sharing of excerpts and links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

This website is a free website from WordPress and adverts which appear here are not endorsed or controlled by the Web admin team of Save Daisy Hill Hospital.com