Tag Archives: ambulance

07.27.25
by

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL, NEWRY NEEDS TIMELY EMERGENCY SURGERY!

Last week the campaign run by the people of Fermanagh & South Tyrone to retain Emergency Surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (Enniskillen)  has been headline news. The Health Minister Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA must be commended for listening to the people and ensuring correct procedure is followed by halting the current consultation.

The people of Newry, Mourne and Down also need access to TIMELY Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill in Newry, and fairness and correct procedure must be adhered to here also, as the people of Newry, Mourne and Down deserve the same dignity as the rest of the people living in NI.

Daisy Hill in Newry City is (or was) the ONLY designated Acute Hospital providing access to CONSULTANT LED TIMELY life saving Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care for the population of the 2 constituencies of Newry/Armagh and South Down. Population 235,877 with 60,327 under 18’s (NISRA 2020).

Because of the large Population it serves and the large land mass size, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry was designated as one of a Network of only nine Acute Hospitals in NI, after a DoH Regional Consultation. All of these nine hospitals EDs are vital to ensure timely access to 24/7 Emergency Surgical and Emergency Medical Services WITHIN ONE HOUR, to the entire population of NI no matter where they choose to live.

However, the previous Southern Trust management unfairly broke up the Regional Network of time reliant Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Services by proposing in April 2023 to provide Emergency Surgery only in Craigavon Hospital. This meant then the removal of timely life saving Emergency Surgery, and its specialist clinical staff from Newry City’s Specialist Acute Hospital, Daisy Hill.

The people and Newry, Mourne and Down Council were against this proposal – but the Southern Trust still went ahead. The Permanent Secretary of DoH agreed to PERMANENTLY withdraw Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill, and announced this on 8 January 2024, without a Regional Public Consultation and when the Executive /Assembly was not in place.

>The Dept. of Health recorded this in its Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24: ‘The permanent closure of the Emergency General Surgery service at the Daisy Hill Hospital site following a comprehensive consultation process in January 2024. A new service for all Southern patients is now fully operational in Craigavon Area Hospital with new inter-Trust and NIAS pathways to manage the demand from the Newry/Mourne population.”

Despite what is written in the Annual Report, there was NOT ‘comprehensive consultation’. Emergency surgery like heart and stroke is a Regional service and there must be a Regional consultation. There was no Regional Consultation.

The Southern Trust questionnaire asked : ‘Do you agree with the proposal to provide Emergency General Surgery Services on the Craigavon Area Hospital site 24 hours per day 7 days per week? It did not state they would withdraw Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill in the questionnaire.

This was a local Trust ‘consultation’ and not appropriate for life saving Regional Services like Emergency Surgery. In this local Trust ‘consultation’ – 94% of people said NO. The Trust received 11,377 responses including a questionnaire completed by the ‘Save Our Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill Hospital’ group, endorsed by 11,053 people, NOT IN AGREEMENT with the Southern Trust proposal.

>REGIONAL SERVICES MUST BE PLANNED, MANAGED AND DELIVERED ON A REGIONAL BASIS.

The point must be made again -Emergency surgery like heart and stroke is a Regional service and there must be a REGIONAL consultation.

The Dept. of Health’s own Annual Report, writes that under the principles of Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together :

“This will empower local providers and communities to plan integrated continuous care based on the needs of their population, with specialised and regional services planned, managed and delivered ON A REGIONAL BASIS.” (DoH Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 pg7)

This matter is not closed for the people of Newry, Mourne and Down, just like the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone asking for fair play, equality and campaigning to retain Emergency Surgery in South West Hospital, the people also need access to Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill in Newry because it saves lives and we deserve the same dignity as the rest of the people living here.

The people of Newry Mourne and Down ask for fairness from the current Health Minster and Department of Health. A proper REGIONAL Consultation is needed. This will ensure correct procedure is followed and will properly address the issue of access to Emergency Surgery across the whole network of 9 acute hospitals including Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry , Mourne and Down and South West acute in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

TIMELY Emergency Surgery saves lives!
REFERENCES

> Dept. of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 for year end 31 March 2024 (p 10 pdf)
> Dept. of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (p 7 pdf)
>Provision of Emergency General Surgery In The Southern Health And Social Care Trust – Public Consultation Feedback Report September 2023.

Important Further Reading on Emergency Surgery follows (Written 9th March 2024)

DECLINE BY DESIGN: General Surgery Inpatient Beds Systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023

Department of Health NI information shows that the number of Beds (for both Emergency and Planned General Surgery) in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry were SYSTEMATICALLY CUT from 2007-2023.

The reduction of these beds resulted in a huge decline in the number of Emergency General Surgery Inpatients who were treated in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

This is vitally important because the Department of Health are using the reason “Lower patient numbers” (or volumes) as a key reason why Health Trusts are unable to recruit or retain consultants and as justification for permanent removal of services from Acute Hospitals and in this case – Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

Decline by Design - General Surgery Inpatient Beds Systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023.

As shown in the Department of Health statement published 08 Jan 2024, from Permanent Secretary Mr Peter May: “When hospitals have lower patient numbers, this can create significant issues for professionals working in key specialties. These include rota/on-call pressures inherent in smaller clinical teams, as well as insufficient case mix to support specialisation, training and skill development. These issues inevitably have consequences for recruitment and retention.” (Ref 1)

The Permanent Secretary Mr Peter May’s statement shows that he agreed with the Local Southern Trust’s decision to permanently withdraw all Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry to Craigavon, and believed what he was told that Daisy Hill had low patient numbers needing Emergency General Surgery.

But, as the final row in the picture table shows, while Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry had only 3 inpatients recorded for the whole year 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023, this low number of inpatients was while the number of available beds in the Hospital had been REDUCED to only 8.6 beds to admit anyone needing either Emergency or planned General Surgery.

The numbers of inpatients for emergency surgery dropped because the number of emergency and planned surgery beds had been deliberately reduced.

NUMBER OF BEDS TRACKED FROM 2007-2023

Southern Trust took over Management of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital on 1st April 2007.

For the year 1st April 2006 – 31st March 2007, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry had 49.5 Inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) and 3,432 Emergency General Surgery inpatients

(For the same year Craigavon Hospital had 97 inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) and 3,540 Emergency General Surgery inpatients).

Fast forward to the year (1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023): Daisy Hill Acute Hospital , Newry had plummeted to 8.6 Inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) with only 3 Emergency General Surgery inpatients recorded for the whole year.

The table diagram showing official DOH statistics proves that there was a Decline by Design – and General Surgery Inpatient Beds (for Emergency and planned Surgery) were systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023.

CONCLUSION

The Southern Trust were given the function, under the 2006 Establishment Order to provide accommodation and services in Hospitals in Newry, Craigavon, Armagh, and Dungannon to ensure equal access to hospital services to everyone no matter where they lived in the former Local Government Districts of Newry & Mourne, Craigavon, Armagh, Dungannon, and Banbridge.

But although the Southern Trust Establishment Order clearly states the Southern Trust have a duty to “PROVIDE ” not “DEPRIVE” access to Accommodation and Services in Daisy Hill, Newry, they have not done so, as the falling number of available inpatient Beds in Daisy Hill, Newry for General Surgery over time can be seen in the accompanying table picture.

All Emergency Services, including Fire and Ambulance are Regional Services and as such cannot be changed or withdrawn without going through Regional Public Consultation, where decisions can be challenged by the public who are paying for the service – (not just at local level by the Southern Trust).

The final decision will then rest with the Health Minister after a REGIONAL CONSULTATION which must include Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

BACKGROUND

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, along with 8 other hospitals in NI was designated as an Acute Hospital with 24/7 Consultant Led Emergency Surgery, Emergency Medical, and Maternity Services since 2003.


>In 2006/07 DHH had 49.5 inpatient beds for General Surgery ( Emergency & planned ) with 3,432 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.
>In the year 2009/10*: DHH had 48.8 inpatient beds for General Surgery (Emergency & planned) with 3,036 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.(see picture: 2009/10)


>By the year 20018/19*: DHH had dropped to 27.5 General Surgery inpatient beds (for Emergency & planned Surgery ) with 2,204 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.


> But by the year 2022/23* (when the General Surgery Speciality had been ‘temporarily removed’ ) Daisy Hill Acute Hospital General Surgery Inpatient bed numbers (for Emergency & planned surgery) plummeted to only 8.6 inpatient beds with only 3 Emergency General Surgery inpatients recorded. (see picture)

REFERENCES

Ref 1 https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/…/doh-approves-permanent… – Permanent Secretary Peter May statement (08 Jan 2024 DOH)

Link to SHSCT Establishment Order 2006

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/294/contents/made

The Southern Health and Social Services Trust (Establishment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006

Establishment Order Trust 2006 nisr_20060294_enDownload
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City –the Acute Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne, South Armagh
Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

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.

Please also see the related post : ‘Emergency Surgery – the Have and the Have Nots’ : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/05/24/emergency-surgery-the-haves-and-the-have-nots-n-ireland

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2025. We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, please give full and clear credit to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.

06.25.25
by

NEW! Write for your Rights! Dept. of Health Equality & Disability Action Plans Consultation (24.06.2025)

The Department of Health has developed New Draft Equality and Draft Disability Action Plans for 2025 to 2030. They write: “This consultation gives you an opportunity to tell us what you think should be included in our Equality Action Plan and Disability Action Plans for the next 5 years.”This Regional Consultation is our chance to put in writing the need for Equality in Newry Mourne and Down. Give a voice to the vulnerable and ill. Please take part.

DOH Draft Equality & Disability Action Plans Consultation 2025 – 2030.

INEQUALITY – STILL HERE in JUNE 2025.

Write For Your Equality Rights (DoH Draft Equality/Disability Public Consultation 2025)

This time two years ago, on 25th June 2023 people came out in their thousands to show their support for Daisy Hill Hospital at the SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Committee Public Rally in Newry.  People here care and will show up for Daisy Hill, the designated Acute Hospital in Newry city.  

Now its June 2025, so have there been announcements of more investment for specialist acute services for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, for its large and growing population? After all, Official population figures right back to 1971 show that Newry & Mourne (former) local government district (LGD) has always ranked in the TOP 4 populations in NI.

No, instead of return of specialist services (like Emergency Surgery and acute stroke) and more capital  investment for Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, (Apart from proposing some essential Electrical Maintenance), the following is recorded in the DOH 2023-4 Annual Report :

‘Progress and key achievements in 2023/24: The initial phases of REMODELLING THE ACUTE MODEL at Daisy Hill Hospital by REDUCING BED CAPACITY and INCREASING COMMUNITY based medical management. Further development is ongoing in 2024-25 and it is expected that OTHER LOCAL HOSPITALS CAN LEARN from this model in the future.’  (Department of Health Annual Report 2023-4, Page 10)

COMPARING THE TWO SOUTHERN TRUST ACUTE HOSPITALS – DAISY HILL, NEWRY AND CRAIGAVON (From 2023- on)

While the longest established Hospital in the Southern Trust, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry gets ‘remodelled’ /’reconfigured’,  ‘re-designated’  by re-moving /withdrawing and centralising its specialist services to Craigavon and vital equipment for the LONG TERM future is stalled again e.g. CT/ MRI Scanners.  There is a different story in the other Acute Hospital in the Southern Trust, (newly built in 1971). Craigavon Hospital is treated much more favourably in the Department of Health Budget 2023-24 with the opposite proposal of EXTRA BEDS:

‘There are a number of critical capital schemes that the Department would like to commence in 2023/24 which include…THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL BED CAPACITY at CRAIGAVON Area Hospital’ (Department of Health Budget 2023-24 Equality Impact Assessment, page 10.)

CRAIGAVON CAPITAL PROPOSAL FOR   £2.4 BILLION: REVENUE £38.5 MILLION. FUNDING STREAM IS NAMED AS DOH.

Craigavon Hospital continues to get major investment, beds, equipment and staff and still wants MORE

E.g. Southern Trust Board Report Jan 2025 lists the ‘new Capital Proposal for Craigavon Area Hospital Site Wide Redevelopment Programme with a Capital/Revenue Value £2.4 BILLION/ Revenue £38.5million.’ The Funding Stream is named as DOH. (Department of Health)

NEWRY & MOURNE HAS A HIGHER POPULATION THAN CRAIGAVON

Official population figures right back to 1971 show that Newry & Mourne local government district (LGD) has always ranked in the top 4 populations in NI and since 2007 has always had the HIGHEST population of the 5 LGD areas in the Southern Trust area. (See References for Figures)

So, given the consistently large recorded population size – where is the access to timely Regional Emergency Services and Specialist inpatient services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, for the people of Newry, Mourne & Down? 

Lack of inpatient hospital access (to the only hospital in this area – Daisy Hill) is a major health inequality affecting the adults and children who live in Newry & Mourne. And how can people bring this inequality to light in 2025?

The Department of Health has developed New Draft Equality and Draft Disability Action Plans for 2025 to 2030. They write: “This consultation gives you an opportunity to tell us what you think should be included in our Equality Action Plan and Disability Action Plans for the next 5 years.”This Regional Consultation is our chance to put in writing the need for Equality in Newry Mourne and Down.

Rally and another show of strength for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry city 25.06.2023

>WHY ANSWER THIS NEW CONSULTATION?

The DOH has given an opportunity to write to them directly about inequalities so this is a real chance to write about major health inequalities in the Southern Trust.  This inequality affects all Section 75 groups in the population regarding lack of access to acute hospital inpatient treatment at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry, because vital TIMELY life saving Regional Accident and Emergency Medical inpatient services (like Stroke, timely Emergency Surgical inpatient Services, and vital timely Critical Care Services High Dependency beds) were withdrawn from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry without the Department going to the necessary Public Regional Consultations. 

Emergency Surgery was removed permanently in Jan 2024 when there was no NI Executive in place. It was also announced Daisy Hill Hospital change of use to a Regional Elective care centre, and removal of beds without Public Regional Consultation.  These are huge inequalities as it was the only acute Hospital in NI treated this way and will have a negative effect on health outcomes of the very large numbers of children and adults living here.

Newry & Mourne is a major settlement, the 4th highest population in NI and has always had the highest (former) local government district population in the Southern Trust operational area, but it is being wrongly categorised as an ‘isolated community’ in the DoH Hospital Network Consultation.  Newry & Mourne is not an isolated community; the populations’ needs are not being assessed correctly.  

To help people write in to the Department about inequality in this Public Consultation – Some suggested Answers will be available on this page.

Please Help and Please Share. Thank you.

REFERENCES AND LINKS

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-equality-action-plan-and-draft-disability-action-plan

The Southern Trust Operational Area is still the former five Local Government Districts of Newry & Mourne, Armagh, Craigavon, Dungannon and Banbridge.  Projected population for 2026 in Southern Trust/ SLCG: Newry & Mourne (111,508); Craigavon (109,655); Armagh (66,848); Dungannon (67,870) and Banbridge (53,202) NISRA June 2025.

Department of Health Budget (DoH) 2023-24 Equality Impact Assessment, Page 10

Department of Health Annual Report 2023-4, Page 10)

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

Ways to respond are detailed below.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONSULTATION LINKS

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-equality-action-plan-and-draft-disability-action-plan

The link above is the main Consultation link from the Department of Health website . It gives all documents including main report, Rural Impact and Equality Impact Assessments,  Consultation Questionnaire Word document all available to download and read.

Public Consultations should be freely accessible to all – if you are unable to save or open any of the Department of Health Consultation documents in the formats provided – please contact the Department of Health using the information provided below, to let them know and see if they can offer alternative formats.

WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

There are 3 WAYS TO RESPOND to Department of Health Draft Equality & Disability Action Plans Consultation 2025 – 2030

1>By Email > Send your completed Questionnaire by email to the Department by attaching the Consultation Questionnaire to the email address:    equality&humanrights@health-ni.gov.uk

2>By Online Questionnaire

Click on the Online Questionnaire link below and scroll down to and click ‘have your say’

https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/draft-equality-action-plan-and-di/

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

Write to:
Equality and Human Rights Unit,
Castle Buildings,
Stormont,
Belfast,
Northern Ireland,
BT4 3SQ

By the Closing Date of Saturday 28th June 2025 by 5pm.

For Enquiries on the Department of Health Draft Equality & Disability Action Plans Consultation 2025 – 2030 the contact email is: equality&humanrights@health-ni.gov.uk

Department of Health General Telephone number is : Telephone: 028 9052 0500

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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 2nd 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 2nd 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).

Further reading:

GP Registers show vital need for Daisy Hill, Newry as an Area Hospital with 24-7 Level 1 ED > https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/28/gp-registers-show-vital-need-for-daisy-hill-newry-as-an-area-hospital-with-24-7-level-1-ed/

Further reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2023/05/08/transformed-before-your-very-eyes-is-the-plan-for-daisy-hill-acute-hospital-newry-city-to-be-replaced-by-a-regional-planned-surgery-centre/

Further Reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/05/27/decline-by-design-general-surgery-inpatient-beds-systematically-cut-from-daisy-hill-acute-hospital-newry-from-2007-to-2023/

Further Reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/26/daisy-hill-newry-is-entitled-to-be-in-the-area-hospital-category-in-the-doh-hospital-network-public-consultation-2024-25/

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.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2025.

05.27.25
by

DECLINE BY DESIGN: General Surgery Inpatient Beds Systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023

Department of Health NI information shows that the number of Beds (for both Emergency and Planned General Surgery) in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry were SYSTEMATICALLY CUT from 2007-2023.

The reduction of these beds resulted in a huge decline in the number of Emergency General Surgery Inpatients who were treated in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

This is vitally important because the Department of Health are using the reason “Lower patient numbers” (or volumes) as a key reason why Health Trusts are unable to recruit or retain consultants and as justification for permanent removal of services from Acute Hospitals and in this case – Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

Decline by Design - General Surgery Inpatient Beds Systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023.

As shown in the Department of Health statement published 08 Jan 2024, from Permanent Secretary Mr Peter May: “When hospitals have lower patient numbers, this can create significant issues for professionals working in key specialties. These include rota/on-call pressures inherent in smaller clinical teams, as well as insufficient case mix to support specialisation, training and skill development. These issues inevitably have consequences for recruitment and retention.” (Ref 1)

The Permanent Secretary Mr Peter May’s statement shows that he agreed with the Local Southern Trust’s decision to permanently withdraw all Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry to Craigavon, and believed what he was told that Daisy Hill had low patient numbers needing Emergency General Surgery.

But, as the final row in the picture table shows, while Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry had only 3 inpatients recorded for the whole year 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023, this low number of inpatients was while the number of available beds in the Hospital had been REDUCED to only 8.6 beds to admit anyone needing either Emergency or planned General Surgery.

The numbers of inpatients for emergency surgery dropped because the number of emergency and planned surgery beds had been deliberately reduced.

NUMBER OF BEDS TRACKED FROM 2007-2023

Southern Trust took over Management of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital on 1st April 2007.

For the year 1st April 2006 – 31st March 2007, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry had 49.5 Inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) and 3,432 Emergency General Surgery inpatients

(For the same year Craigavon Hospital had 97 inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) and 3,540 Emergency General Surgery inpatients).

Fast forward to the year (1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023): Daisy Hill Acute Hospital , Newry had plummeted to 8.6 Inpatient beds (for Emergency and planned General Surgery) with only 3 Emergency General Surgery inpatients recorded for the whole year.

The table diagram showing official DOH statistics proves that there was a Decline by Design – and General Surgery Inpatient Beds (for Emergency and planned Surgery) were systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023.

CONCLUSION

The Southern Trust were given the function, under the 2006 Establishment Order to provide accommodation and services in Hospitals in Newry, Craigavon, Armagh, and Dungannon to ensure equal access to hospital services to everyone no matter where they lived in the former Local Government Districts of Newry & Mourne, Craigavon, Armagh, Dungannon, and Banbridge.

But although the Southern Trust Establishment Order clearly states the Southern Trust have a duty to “PROVIDE ” not “DEPRIVE” access to Accommodation and Services in Daisy Hill, Newry, they have not done so, as the falling number of available inpatient Beds in Daisy Hill, Newry for General Surgery over time can be seen in the accompanying table picture.

All Emergency Services, including Fire and Ambulance are Regional Services and as such cannot be changed or withdrawn without going through Regional Public Consultation, where decisions can be challenged by the public who are paying for the service – (not just at local level by the Southern Trust).

The final decision will then rest with the Health Minister after a REGIONAL CONSULTATION which must include Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

BACKGROUND

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, along with 8 other hospitals in NI was designated as an Acute Hospital with 24/7 Consultant Led Emergency Surgery, Emergency Medical, and Maternity Services since 2003.


>In 2006/07 DHH had 49.5 inpatient beds for General Surgery ( Emergency & planned ) with 3,432 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.
>In the year 2009/10*: DHH had 48.8 inpatient beds for General Surgery (Emergency & planned) with 3,036 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.(see picture: 2009/10)


>By the year 20018/19*: DHH had dropped to 27.5 General Surgery inpatient beds (for Emergency & planned Surgery ) with 2,204 Emergency General Surgery Inpatients.


> But by the year 2022/23* (when the General Surgery Speciality had been ‘temporarily removed’ ) Daisy Hill Acute Hospital General Surgery Inpatient bed numbers (for Emergency & planned surgery) plummeted to only 8.6 inpatient beds with only 3 Emergency General Surgery inpatients recorded. (see picture)

REFERENCES

Ref 1 https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/…/doh-approves-permanent… – Permanent Secretary Peter May statement (08 Jan 2024 DOH)

Link to SHSCT Establishment Order 2006

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2006/294/contents/made

The Southern Health and Social Services Trust (Establishment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006

Establishment Order Trust 2006 nisr_20060294_enDownload
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City –the Acute Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne, South Armagh
Daisy Hill Acute Area Hospital, Newry City

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.

Please also see the related post : ‘Emergency Surgery – the Have and the Have Nots’ : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/05/24/emergency-surgery-the-haves-and-the-have-nots-n-ireland

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2025. We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, please give full and clear credit to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.
05.24.25
by

EMERGENCY SURGERY – THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS (N.IRELAND)

Over c.453,455 people (nearly a quarter of the NI population) have been denied access to a Regional service at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry and at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, because two Health Trusts decided to withdraw life-saving Emergency Surgery at these acute hospitals, even though the decisions to remove these Regional Emergency Services never went to REGIONAL Public Consultation.* (See Background)

The accompanying map graphic shows the stark reality of the areas and numbers affected. The grey coloured area on the map shows where the 453,455 (adults and children alike), have now been left without access to Emergency Surgery in these two designated acute hospitals Newry and Enniskillen. This number does not even include the thousands of tourists who visit this area.

The accompanying map graphic shows the stark reality of the areas and numbers affected. The grey coloured area on the map shows where the 453,455 (adults and children alike), have now been left without access to Emergency Surgery in these two designated acute hospitals Newry and Enniskillen. This number does not even include the thousands of tourists who visit this area.

The local populations objected to the removal of Emergency Surgery from the two Acute Hospitals since 2022 through the only mechanisms open to them through their local councils and by objecting in their thousands through the Trust ONLY LOCAL LEVEL consultations.

In Newry, the ‘Save Our Emergency Surgery Action Group’ organised a huge rally in opposition to centralisation of Emergency Surgery to Craigavon Hospital and collected and submitted 12,000 responses to the Southern Trust LOCAL Emergency Surgery Consultation. Mr Francis Gallagher the group’s Chair stated in a Newry Reporter article : “Tell the DOH and the trust that we demand equality and respect by having equal timely access to life-saving healthcare” (Newry Reporter April 2023).

Save our Acute Services who also co-ordinated a community campaign in Fermanagh area stated they secured over 30,286 individual responses to Western Trust consultation on ‘temporary’ removal of Emergency Surgery from the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

The Community campaigns also had strong local government support, with both Newry Mourne and Down Council and the Fermanagh and Omagh Councils strongly opposing the withdrawal of Emergency Surgery from their Acute Hospitals and communicating with the Department of Health on this issue. 

FOR BETTER OUTCOMES AND EQUALITY, ALL HEALTH TRUSTS MUST ADHERE TO THE RURAL NEEDS ACT AND RETURN EMERGENCY SURGERY TO THESE ACUTE HOSPITALS.  

Health Trusts should have remembered before they took it on themselves to withdraw life saving Regional services like Emergency Surgery  from the predominantly Rural  (NUTS Classification) ‘West and South of NI’, that they have a “duty of care” to continue to provide, not deprive this population of  life saving Emergency Surgery. 

The Southern and Western Health Trusts also have to adhere to the NI Rural Needs Act 2016 and consider the extent of harm their decision did to this predominantly Rural Population when they withdrew timely life saving Emergency Surgery.  Because of this they should reverse their decision and return Emergency Surgery without delay to achieve better outcomes for the Rural population under their care.  

The Rural population in NI are entitled to the same value for public money for Life-saving Emergency services as the urban population, as the quote from the Rural Needs Act below shows.

RURAL NEEDS ACT 2016:
“In seeking to identify Rural Needs public authorities should consider to what extent the policy, strategy, plan or public services will meet the social and economic needs of people in rural areas and whether the outcomes delivered for people in rural areas will be similar to the outcomes delivered for people in urban areas.”

It is a serious situation that over 453,455 people (nearly a quarter of the NI population) has been denied access to a Regional service at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry and at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

The removal of a life saving Regional Service like Emergency Surgery is one that can only be dealt with through a REGIONAL Public Consultation. The fact that Emergency Surgery was removed from two designated acute hospitals, without a REGIONAL Public Consultation or due process makes this a Rural Needs and an Equality issue. 

The best way to continue to bring this to the attention of the Dept of Health and Health Minister is though our politicians – MLAs, Councillors and MPs and directly through the next available Equality and Disability Public Consultation. 

The latest Consultation is open and is asking for public feedback, so this a good opportunity to keep up standing our ground for our acute Hospitals, designated by Government in  2003 and paid for with our public funds, taxes and national insurance contributions.

Details on the ‘Public Consultation on the Department of Health’s Draft Equality Action and Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030’ will follow shortly.

BACKGROUND

Graphic Source: Population projections for the 5 former NUTS UK Eurostat Administrative Areas (year 2025): Source NISRA. NUTS III Areas still relevant because these areas cover the 26 councils which still remain the operational areas of the 5 Health Trusts.

*Emergency Surgery Withdrawn from two Acute Hospitals in NI without regional consultation

NEWRY

*Emergency Surgery withdrawn from Daisy Hill acute Hospital in Newry – permanent service change (8 January 2024)

‘DoH approves permanent service change – The Department of Health has approved the Southern Health and Social Care Trust decision to permanently consolidate emergency general surgery services at Craigavon Area Hospital.’ Date published: 8 January 2024

ENNISKILLEN

Western Trust Corporate Risk Update at 30 May 2024

23/05/2024 ‘Temporary suspension (Emergency General Surgery) remains in place with Trust now in the preparatory stages to move to consultation on a permanent change delivery model.’

Next Consultation:

Public Consultation on the Department of Health’s Draft Equality Action and Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030

Background ends

Please share if you can. Thank you.

Emergency Surgery

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.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2025

We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, please give full and clear credit to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.

02.23.25
by

How to take part in the DOH Hospital Network Consultation with Suggested Responses (Updated! 23.02.2025)

DOH Hospital Network Consultation 2024-2025 – Some Suggested Responses

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 put into the wrong Hospital category of ‘General Hospital’.

Public help is needed to answer through the Questionnaire to put the case forward to the Department of Health through the Public consultation process for Daisy Hill to be made an Area Hospital, like the other Area Hospitals, as it is entitled to be.

You can help by responding to this Department of Health Consultation ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes.’ (October 2024) (More information on the topic is explored in ‘Why This Consultation Matters’ section below.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 1 AVAILABLE HERE

Word versions of the Questionnaire with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers, (now with extra info on the Rural Needs and Equality Questions) are available to download by clicking on the Download buttons below : (File name: V3 Extra info-Questionnaire-doh -hospitals) has detailed LONGER answers.


V3 Extra info-Questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

A word version of the Questionnaire with SHORTER ANSWERS (File name ‘W shorter-questionnaire -doh-hospitals) with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers is available to download by clicking on the Download button below.

W shorter -questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

Notes for the Prefilled Questionnaire

>If you use this pre-filled version you will first need to save the file to your phone/computer/device etc), Select the Save As Option, and select where you want to save it in Downloads/Documents etc.

>Then give it a new filename by adding your initials at the front/end or some other change to the standard name.

Example 1. New file name: AB questionnaire doh-hospitals-better-outcomes.

Example 2. New file name: questionnaire doh-hospitals-better-outcomesRR1

>Edit the new version by starting with Q1 to add your name and Q2 to add your Email address by typing into the Space in the Answer Boxes on the Questionnaire. This is really important so the department will count it as a real response coming from you. (There is space to add extra comments on some of the other answer boxes if you wish. )

>When you are finished Save your file again and then your version of the Questionnaire is ready. This new filename is the version you can send as an email attachment, (or for printing, if you want to post it.)

Ways to respond are detailed below.

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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONSULTATION LINKS

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/hospitals-creating-network-better-outcomes-public-consultation

The link above is the main Consultation link from the Department of Health website for the ‘Creating a Network for better outcomes’ Consultation . It gives all documents including main report, Rural Impact and Equality Impact Assessments,  Consultation Questionnaire Word document all available to download and read.

Public Consultations should be freely accessible to all – if you are unable to save or open any of the Department of Health Consultation documents in the formats provided – please contact the Department of Health using the information provided below, to let them know and see if they can offer alternative formats.

WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

There are 3 WAYS TO RESPOND to Department of Health Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes Consultation proposals 2024-2025:

1>By Email > Send your completed Questionnaire by email to the Department by attaching the Consultation Questionnaire to the email address:    rebuildinghsc.services@health-ni.gov.uk

2>By Online Questionnaire

Click on the Online Questionnaire link below and scroll down to and click ‘have your say’

https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/hospitals-creating-a-network-for-better-outcomes/

SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 2 (ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE) AVAILABLE HERE

There are two versions of the Suggested Answers (ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE ) AVAILABLE

V6 (With Longer Detailed Answers)

V8 (With Shorter Answers)

You can use these two Suggested Answer Sheets (Ready Reference) Answers BELOW to help you if you need some ideas while you are filling out this online questionnaire. If you agree with the typed answer suggestions you can even copy and paste the answers in part or full. (Just download it to your device and open the file for reference)

LONGER (MORE DETAILED) SUGGESTED ANSWER SHEET FOR ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE AVAILABLE HERE:


V6 extra-ONLINE-Qs-suggested-answersDownload

SHORTER SUGGESTED ANSWER SHEET FOR ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE:

V8 Shorter Ready Ref Answers for Online Qs -DoHDownload

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

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

By the Closing Date of 28th February 2025.

For Enquiries on the ‘Hospitals -Creating a Network for better outcomes’ consultation the Department of Health contact email is: rebuildinghsc.services@health-ni.gov.uk

Department of Health General Telephone number is : Telephone: 028 9052 0500

WHY THIS CONSULTATION MATTERS

In 2019, you did it – over 19, 500 people sent back consultation Reponses disagreeing with Dept 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.

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 you, the public who are paying for the service to see if they agree with these new proposals. 

Acute hospital-Emergency entrance

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

As mentioned in previous posts, 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 p23, 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.

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 PROPOSALS

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 have a right to continue to challenge, at every opportunity, these vital healthcare decisions.  Pls 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 pls ask your friends, family and community and Elected Representatives to do the same.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/ REFERENCES

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(p6,p23, p34).

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)

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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 2nd 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 2nd 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).

Further reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/28/gp-registers-show-vital-need-for-daisy-hill-newry-as-an-area-hospital-with-24-7-level-1-ed/

Further reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/02/23/new-updated-shorter-ready-reference-suggested-answers-online-consultation/

Further Reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/26/daisy-hill-newry-is-entitled-to-be-in-the-area-hospital-category-in-the-doh-hospital-network-public-consultation-2024-25/

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.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2025.

01.05.25
by

DOH Hospital Network Consultation 2024-2025 – Suggested Response (Updated! )

Important: For detailed info on this topic and why it is important to take part- please read the full article.

QUICK LINKS – SHORT EXTRACT

*SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 1 – FULL QUESTIONNAIRE (Prefilled)

NEW SHORTER ANSWERS – PREFILLED QUESTIONNAIRE IN WORD IS AVAILABLE BELOW:

A NEW word version of the Questionnaire (W shorter -with Shorter Answers – with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers is available to download by clicking on the Download button below.

W shorter -questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

LONGER ANSWERS PREFILLED QUESTIONNAIRE IN WORD IS AVAILABLE BELOW:

A word version of the Questionnaire (version V3-Longer Answers) with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers is available to download by clicking on the Download button below.

V3 Extra info-Questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

*SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 2 (ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE)

Shorter Answers V8

V8 Shorter Ready Ref Answers for Online Qs -DoHDownload

You can use this V8 Shorter Suggested Answers – Ready Reference Sheet (word document) BELOW to help you if want to copy and paste onto or if you need some ideas while you are filling out the online questionnaire. (Link to the online Questionnaire in main article)

You can use this V6 Extra Online Qs Suggested Answers Sheet (word document) BELOW to help you if you need some ideas while you are filling out the online questionnaire. (Link to the online Questionnaire in main article)

If you agree with the typed answer suggestions you can even copy and paste the answers in part or full. (Just download it to your device and open the file for reference)

OR

You can use this V6 Extra Online Qs Suggested Answers Sheet (lONGER ANSWERS) (word document) BELOW to help you if you need some ideas while you are filling out the online questionnaire. (Link to the online Questionnaire in main article)

If you agree with the typed answer suggestions you can even copy and paste the answers in part or full. (Just download it to your device and open the file for reference)

V6 extra-ONLINE-Qs-suggested-answersDownload

Please note these files are in Word document format, if you are unable to open these files on your mobile or laptop successfully, it may be because your device doesn’t have Word installed.

Updated Feb 2025

If you are unable to download the Word files and want to fill in the Online Questionnaire page- you can go to these pages below instead :

FOR NEW SHORTER ANSWERS – see this page:

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/02/23/new-updated-shorter-ready-reference-suggested-answers-online-consultation/

OR FOR MORE DETAILED LONGER ANSWERS – SEE THIS PAGE BELOW:

– https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/02/19/ready-reference-suggested-answers-online-consultation/

Full original article – STARTS HERE.

DOH Hospital Network Consultation 2024-2025 – A Suggested Response

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 put into the wrong Hospital category of ‘General Hospital’.

Public help is needed to answer through the Questionnaire to put the case forward to the Department of Health through the Public consultation process for Daisy Hill to be made an Area Hospital, like the other Area Hospitals, as it is entitled to be.

You can help by responding to this Department of Health Consultation ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes.’ (October 2024) (More information on the topic is explored in ‘Why This Consultation Matters’ section below.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 1 AVAILABLE HERE

An updated word version of the Questionnaire with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers, (now with extra info on the Rural Needs and Equality Questions) is available to download by clicking on the Download button below :

V3 Extra info-Questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

NEW SHORTER ANSWERS!!

OR A NEW word version of the Questionnaire (W shorter -with Shorter Answers – with some pre-filled selected options to read or use for your own answers is available to download by clicking on the Download button below.

W shorter -questionnaire-doh-hospitalsDownload

Notes for the Prefilled Questionnaire

>If you use this pre-filled version you will first need to save the file to your phone/computer/device etc), Select the Save As Option, and select where you want to save it in Downloads/Documents etc.

>Then give it a new filename by adding your initials at the front/end or some other change to the standard name.

Example 1. New file name: AB questionnaire doh-hospitals-better-outcomes.

Example 2. New file name: questionnaire doh-hospitals-better-outcomesRR1

>Edit the new version by starting with Q1 to add your name and Q2 to add your Email address by typing into the Space in the Answer Boxes on the Questionnaire. This is really important so the department will count it as a real response coming from you. (There is space to add extra comments on some of the other answer boxes if you wish. )

>When you are finished Save your file again and then your version of the Questionnaire is ready. This new filename is the version you can send as an email attachment, (or for printing, if you want to post it.)

Ways to respond are detailed below.

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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONSULTATION LINKS

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/hospitals-creating-network-better-outcomes-public-consultation

The link above is the main Consultation link from the Department of Health website for the ‘Creating a Network for better outcomes’ Consultation . It gives all documents including main report, Rural Impact and Equality Impact Assessments,  Consultation Questionnaire Word document all available to download and read.

Public Consultations should be freely accessible to all – if you are unable to save or open any of the Department of Health Consultation documents in the formats provided – please contact the Department of Health using the information provided below, to let them know and see if they can offer alternative formats.

WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

There are 3 WAYS TO RESPOND to Department of Health Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes Consultation proposals 2024-2025:

1>By Email > Send your completed Questionnaire by email to the Department by attaching the Consultation Questionnaire to the email address:    rebuildinghsc.services@health-ni.gov.uk

2>By Online Questionnaire

Click on the Online Questionnaire link below and scroll down to and click ‘have your say’

https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/hospitals-creating-a-network-for-better-outcomes/

SUGGESTED ANSWERS HELP 2 (ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE) AVAILABLE HERE

You can use this NEW V6 Extra Online Qs Suggested Answers Sheet or V8 Shorter ready Ref answers BELOW to help you if you need some ideas while you are filling out this online questionnaire. If you agree with the typed answer suggestions you can even copy and paste the answers in part or full. (Just download it to your device and open the file for reference)

V6 extra-ONLINE-Qs-suggested-answersDownload

SHORTER ANSWERS FOR ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE AVAILABLE HERE

V8 Shorter Ready Ref Answers for Online Qs -DoHDownload

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

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

By the Closing Date of 28th February 2025.

For Enquiries on the ‘Hospitals -Creating a Network for better outcomes’ consultation the Department of Health contact email is: rebuildinghsc.services@health-ni.gov.uk

Department of Health General Telephone number is : Telephone: 028 9052 0500

WHY THIS CONSULTATION MATTERS

In 2019, you did it – over 19, 500 people sent back consultation Reponses disagreeing with Dept 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.

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 you, the public who are paying for the service to see if they agree with these new proposals. 

Acute hospital-Emergency entrance

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

As mentioned in previous posts, 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 p23, 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.

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 PROPOSALS

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 have a right to continue to challenge, at every opportunity, these vital healthcare decisions.  Pls 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 pls ask your friends, family and community and Elected Representatives to do the same.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/ REFERENCES

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(p6,p23, p34).

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)

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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 2nd 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 2nd 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).

Further reading: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/28/gp-registers-show-vital-need-for-daisy-hill-newry-as-an-area-hospital-with-24-7-level-1-ed/

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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07.07.24
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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) – CopyDownload

(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

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2015 – 2024.

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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Daisy Hill Hospital for Life
01.29.23
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As the number of Emergency Departments in NI goes down, the number waiting over 12 hours goes UP by thousands (NI Statistics)

Emergency Department Waiting Times Statistics published by the Department of Health NI indicate that when the number of Emergency Departments in NI was reduced, thousands more people waited over 12 hours in the remaining Emergency Departments in NI .

ED waiting time stats show that 49 people waited over 12 hours, from April to October 2008 when there were 20 Emergency Departments in Northern Ireland. (Type 1, 2 and 3 EDs) The locations of the 20 Type 1, 2 and 3 Emergency Departments in April to October 2008 are shown on NI map.

When there were twenty Emergency Departments in NI, between April and October 2008, statistics show that 49 people waited over 12 Hours to be seen across all the Emergency Departments in NI. (See Table )

The 20 Type 1, 2 and 3 Emergency Departments in NI during the period April to October 2008 are shown below on the map.

COMPARISON

In comparison, when the number of Emergency Departments had been reduced to fifteen EDs across NI, between April and Oct 2020, the number of people waiting over 12 hours had ROCKETED up to 13,365 people.

The figures for 2008 (April to October) are shown below alongside the figures for 2020 in the same 6 month period (April to October) so the comparision can be made. The huge increase in those waiting over 12 hours against the reduced number of EDs open in NI is evident.

ED waiting time stats show that 13,365 people waited over 12 hours between April and Oct 2020 when there were 15 Emergency Departments in Northern Ireland. In comparison 49 people waited over 12 hours between April and Oct 2008 when there were 20 EDs in Northern Ireland. (Type 1, 2 and 3 EDs) Statistics from Department of Health NI

The remaining Emergency Departments in NI, with information on whether they were open or closed during the period April to October 2020 is also shown on the map below. The Emergency Department Types ranged from Major Acute Hospital EDs (Type 1) to the Minor Injury Units (Type 3)

NI Statistics show that when the number of Emergency Departments in NI are reduced, the number of people waiting more than 12 hours increases by thousands. The locations of the Type 1, 2 and 3 Emergency Departments for the periods April -October 2008 and April -October 2020 are shown on a map of NI along with a Table showing the statistics from Department of Health NI

Daisy Hill Acute Hospitals’ Emergency Department (Type 1) in Newry was closed during the period Apr-Oct in 2020.

Daisy Hill was the only Acute Hospital ED in NI closed during this period and this closure contributed significantly to the extra numbers waiting over 12 hours in other Emergency Departments (EDs).

CONCLUSION AND SOLUTION

As these Statistics indicate, FEWER Emergency Departments mean THOUSANDS MORE wait over 12 hours, then a SOLUTION to decrease the numbers waiting in Emergency departments across NI, should be:

RESTORE THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS in NI BACK TO AT LEAST 20 while KEEPING AT LEAST 10 Type 1 EDs (with Emergency Surgery) , including Daisy Hill, Newry and South West, Enniskillen.

This suggested solution will also go some way to helping meet the obligations of Equality Legislation and the Rural Needs Act 2016 to ensure equity of access to emergency healthcare which all the population of NI (Urban and Rural) are entitled to.

BACKGROUND

As the Emergency Department Types in Northern Ireland discussed here ranged from Major Acute Hospital EDs (Type 1) to the Minor Injury Units (Type 3), definitions of each are given below:

DEFINITIONS OF THE THREE SEPERATE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

Type 1 departments are defined as those with a consultant-led service with designated accommodation for the reception of emergency care patients, providing both emergency medicine and emergency surgical services on a round the clock basis.

Type 2 departments are consultant-led service with designated accommodation for the reception of emergency care patients, but which does not provide both emergency medicine and emergency surgical services and/or has time-limited opening hours.

Type 3 departments are minor injury units (MIU) with designated accommodation for the reception of patients with a minor injury and/or illness. It may be doctor or nurse-led. A defining characteristic of this service is that it treats at least minor injuries and/or illnesses and can be routinely accessed without appointment.

(Source: Urgent & Emergency Care Waiting Time Statistics for Northern Ireland)

BACKGROUND
In 2008 there were 20 EDs (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3)
Type 1: Altnagelvin, Antrim, Belfast City, Royal, RBHSC, Mater, Causeway, Craigavon, Daisy Hill (Newry), South West, Ulster

Type 2: Lagan Valley, Downe

Type 3: Tyrone County, Mid Ulster, Whiteabbey, Bangor, Ards, Armagh Community, South Tyrone

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City –the Acute Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne, South Armagh
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City – the Acute Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne, South Armagh etc

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Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.
06.29.22
by

2 Days to go! You need to Know! Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry and the DoH NI Urgent and Emergency Care Services Consultation 2022

2 Days to Go ! Consultation closes on Fri 1st July 2022 @ 5pm

Please respond to the DOH NI Consultation on Urgent and Emergency Care Services in Northern Ireland . For reasons why – Pls Read Why This Consultation Matters below.

Link to the Online Consultation – below:

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

Main Department of Health NI Consultation Documents are available to read here:

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

WAYS TO RESPOND to the DoH Urgent and Emergency Care Services Consultation 2022: 

 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 THIS CONSULTATION MATTERS TO THE FUTURE OF DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL IN NEWRY

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

The DOH NI Public Consultation on Urgent and Emergency care suggests we should agree to their proposals for future Urgent and Emergency care services in NI and that the services should be delivered as they were during March – Oct 2020.  We can’t be expected to agree to this, as this was when Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department was closed, Daisy Hill staff were relocated and 3 Emergency Departments were provided in Craigavon and none in Newry.

Because they are planning for this again – the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has received funding for and works completed (Nov2020) for a dedicated additional ambulance handover zone for Craigavon Hospital – but not for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital (Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2021/2022).

 The ‘No More Silos Action Plan’ published Oct 2020 is the document that is referred to in the NI Executive Summary Document, when Daisy Hill was excluded from the NI Regional ED Network, NI Critical Care Network and Southern Trust Rebuild Plans.  The Executive have been told “Once the public consultation has concluded, proposals will be finalised and an investment and implementation plan will be developed for Ministerial consideration” (Ref: Executive Summary p2/3)

So we can’t agree to this consultation because Daisy Hill hospital ED Newry city – is not included in the No More Silos Action Plan. Daisy Hill Hospital doesn’t feature in this future provision of ED services in NI if they go by No More Silos. We have to tell DOH what’s been left out. Remember Daisy Hill was left out of stroke options, never again must this happen! We must act/reply now or find your way whatever way you can to Craigavon, Mid Ulster.

In 2003 Daisy Hill, Newry was designated as a Major Acute Hospital with a Consultant led 24/7 ED  to ensure timely access within one hour to Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care to its very large catchment population. This catchment  population depending on access to timely Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care , has increased yearly since then and in  2022 Newry & District has the second highest number of patients in NI (159,599) including the 2nd highest number of children U18 (36,117) registered with GP Practices. (The Highest is in Derry -Source: BSO).

This Consultation closes this Friday 1st July 2022 So please help the community, the economy and for Daisy Hill Hospital today – help keep our Type 1 Emergency Department in Daisy Hill, Newry.

We know you are all just waiting to do whatever you can to help Daisy Hill for all our futures. WE ARE ALL STRONG WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER!

BACKGROUND:

NO MORE SILOS ACTION PLAN LINK
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/doh-no-more-silos.pdf

No More Silos is the Department of Health’s action plan to support and maintain urgent and emergency care services, making changes to existing services and introducing new ones to ensure that patients can access the right care, in the right place, and at the right time. In October 2020, the Minister of Health published an urgent and emergency care action plan called ‘No More Silos’. This sought to maintain and improve urgent and emergency care services through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

2. KEEP EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR EMERGENCIES (pg 7 No More Silos Key Action 2 )

“How will it work? This action is closely linked to the following action to develop Urgent Care Centres. Under the new arrangements, direct access to Emergency Departments will only be possible for patients who arrive by ambulance or who are referred to the Emergency Department from the Urgent Care Centre or by their GP. All patients who make their own way to a hospital site will be assessed by a health professional who will determine whether they should attend ED, the Urgent Care Centre, or some other service. Care will be needed to ensure this does not lead to an increase in 999 calls for an ambulance to access ED. All patients will continue to have 24/7 access to care and advice on current ED sites”

IMPORTANT STATS

Latest May 2022 figures show (after Derry) Newry & District has the Second Highest Number of patients in NI registered with GP Practices. (159,599) including the 2nd highest number of children U18 (36,117) (Source: BSO).

These GP Registers state:

Newry & District has: The Highest number of patients in NI with Heart Failure and Heart Failure due to Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

2nd Highest number of Patients in NI (after only Derry) with Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention, Osteoporosis and Depression

3rd Highest number of Patients in NI (after Derry and Antrim) with Cancer, Coronary Heart Disease, Asthma, Atrial Fibrillation, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes, Palliative Care and Hypertension (which can lead to heart disease and Stroke).

4th Highest number of Patients with Stroke: South West is 3rd: Causeway 7th: Craigavon 10th. This must inform where stroke services are provided in NI.


© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2022. We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, please give full and clear credit to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you.

Additional articles on this Consultation and other ways to respond using the longer questionnaire help is available from : IT’S 2022 AND DAISY HILL NEEDS YOU! in the Dept. of Health Urgent and Emergency Care Consultation (Closes 1st July 2022) – Daisy Hill Hospital for Life (savedaisyhillhospital.com)

and

Consultation on changes to Access to Urgent & Emergency Care Services 2022 (Department of Health NI) – Daisy Hill Hospital for Life (savedaisyhillhospital.com)

12.01.20
by

WANT TO HELP DAISY HILL? YOU CAN – IF YOU REPLY TO THIS HSC CONSULTATION

Will Daisy Hill Hospital be left out again if HSC Trusts have more power? Make sure Daisy Hill isn't missing from the Network - Help shape the future, reply to the HSC Framework Consultation by 4th December 2020.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT REMOVAL OF ACUTE SERVICES FROM DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL, NEWRY?

Whether it’s the Type 1 ED, Specialist Stroke Unit and even vital CT scanners – it’s a Tug of War with the Southern Trust. FINALLY NOW – here’s something we can do. We have an address and an opportunity to air our views as part of a Department of Health Framework Consultation. So we MUST USE THIS OPPORTUNITY –as Daisy Hill needs us!

During the Covid pandemic, at a days notice, (without providing a nearby alternative)  the Southern Trust removed Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s 24/7 Type 1 ED services and staff to provide 3 EDs in Craigavon Hospital – one Covid 19, one non Covid 19 and a new Children’s ED.

YOU CAN HELP shape the future, and ensure Daisy Hill isn’t missing from the Regional network as Northern Ireland Rebuilds during and after covid-19 by replying to the ‘Temporary Amendments to the HSC Framework Document’ Consultation, by this Friday 4th December 2020, 5pm.

The Consultation Documents along with info on how to respond can be read in full at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/HSCframework (Additionally Consultation Links are available at the end of this article.)

IMPORTANT ASPECTS DIGESTED

The Department of Health (NI) has made temporary changes to the 2011 Health and Social Care (HSC) Framework Document where it describes the Role and Responsibilities of HSC bodies .So, the Consultation asks :

  1. If we agree with ‘temporary’ amendments needed to change these roles and responsibilities. Although they frame it as an “administrative” change it will mean HSC Trusts will have MORE POWER than before.

2. If we agree with their decision to establish a ‘new’ Management Board for Rebuilding HSC Services in NI (which has been in operation since June 2020 without consultation, until now).

A Clear future for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital - Newry city

TRUSTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GO AHEAD TO REBUILD AND EXPAND SERVICES WHERE THEY WANT.

The only function of Trusts before was as a ‘provider’ of hospital and community services. But as part of these amendments to the 2011 Framework Document in this Consultation – the role of Trusts is now elevated. Trusts are now responsible for assessing their population needs, planning to meet those needs and delivering ‘appropriate’ services in whatever location or hospital they deem appropriate.

If these changes to the 2011 HSC Framework Document go through according to this current Consultation, the Southern Trust will have the loudest voice influencing the future of Daisy Hill.

This will have a huge impact on all ED and specialist inpatient acute hospital services (including children’s services) in Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry as well as Capital investment shaping the future of Daisy Hill acute Hospital for good. Can you help?

PLEASE ENSURE DAISY HILL PART OF NI REBUILDING PLANS NOW – REPLY TO THE CONSULTATION

Nearly £7 billion has been allocated to the Department of Health and the Southern Trust handle over £800 million – we are entitled to our share of this. If we lose services in these Rebuilding Plans for two years to May 2022 we will not get them back. You can Reply to the Consultation to give your views and ensure Daisy Hill, Newry is part of the NI Health and Social Care Rebuilding Plans at both a Regional and local level.

As Health Minister Robin Swann MLA rightly stated at the 10th Annual Nicon Conference 2020

“Whilst we must face the challenges that lie ahead, we must also continue to rebuild; to transform our services in a way that ensures they are here for those who need them today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.”

Robin Swann MLA (10th Annual Nicon Conference 2020)

Newry & Mourne is projected to be the 3rd highest population in NI by 2025 and presently has the 3rd highest population of children in the whole of NI after only Belfast and greater Belfast.

We are entitled to the same investment as Altnagelvin. We must speak up for ourselves as we have seen that the Southern Trust priorities are not with Daisy Hill

We have to respond to this Consultation and speak up for ourselves, our children and their children to ensure retention and expansion of acute specialist acute services (including children’s services) in Daisy Hill acute Hospital in NI HSC Rebuilding plans NOW.

Ways to Respond

Dont forget the deadline is this Friday 4th December 2020, 5pm.

You can reply using the Online Consultation page available at: https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-healthcare-policy-group/temporary-amendments-to-the-health-and-social-care/

Which ever you prefer. But please do take part – do it for your family, the future of Daisy Hill, for those who cant take part themselves and for generations to come. Full instructions for responding to this Consultation are available on the Department of Health’s website at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/HSCframework

Nearly £7 billion has been allocated to the Department of Health and the Southern Trust handle over £800 million – we are entitled to our share of this. If we lose services in these Rebuilding Plans for two years to May 2022 we will not get them back. There has been a hospital in Newry for 175 years – NO ONE IS ENTITLED TO TAKE IT AWAY.

Just as in the Western Trust (with a total population of 301,448*) there is need for TWO Specialist Acute Stroke Units - so too, the Southern Trust (with a larger population of 380,312*) is also entitled to TWO Specialist Stroke Units (HASUs and Acute Stroke Units), at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry and Craigavon Hospital. This would ensure that everyone in the Southern Trust has immediate access to CT scanning and life saving thrombolysis, followed by direct access into a stroke unit.

EXTERNAL LINKS TO CONSULTATION

Consultation on Temporary Amendments to the Health and Social Care Framework Document for the period June 2020 to May 2022

All Consultation Documents can be found at www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/HSCframework

You can also respond to the issues using the online questionnaire, which can be accessed at the following website https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-healthcare-policy-group/temporary-amendments-to-the-health-and-social-care

Rebuilding HSC Services Programme Coordination Office, Department of Health, Annexe 3, Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast, BT4 3SQ

Email: RebuildingHSC.Services@health-ni.gov.uk

Telephone: 028 9052 3231

The Department of Health is inviting us all to tell them what we think about the new Amendments. If we DON’T respond we are letting the DoH and Southern Trust Rebuild (or not) for us and future generations – without us.

Thankyou.

BACKGROUND INFO AND DOCUMENTS

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT 2011: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/dhssps-framework-document-september-2011

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/winter-surge-plans  (nb The Surge Planning Strategic Framework pdf   (nb see APPENDIX A – CCANNI CRITICAL CARE SURGE PLAN page 59) http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/coronavirus/covid-19-rebuilding-services/hospital-services/  All Trusts Phase 1+ Phase 2 Plans

Link to Rural Needs Act:  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/19/pdfs/nia_20160019_en.pdf

A Clear vision for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital - Newry _Daisy Hill for Life
Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City
What progress have the Southern Trust recruitment team made to date recruiting for Daisy Hill Emergency department?

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

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 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