Tag Archives: Belleek

03.26.23
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BROKEN TRUST – CALL FOR NEWRY, MOURNE & DOWN COUNCIL EMERGENCY MEETING AND MARCH FOR DAISY HILL HOSPITAL

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust came down to Newry on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 to dictate to the people that they had decided, to withdraw timely, life-saving emergency general surgery permanently, from Newry City’s Area Acute Hospital Daisy Hill.

Because of this unjust decision there is a Major public health crisis in Newry & Mourne right now, especially with this new threat to Daisy Hill of permanent removal of Emergency Surgery so that Daisy Hill can be made an Elective Care Centre, as confirmed at the public meeting on 22 March 2023

Dr O’Kane, the Southern Trust’s Chief Executive confirmed at this meeting that ‘plans to turn the hospital into an elective overnight stay centre were progressing.’  Note how they have removed the name Hospital.

The Daisy Hill Future Group Chairman Dr Conor Patterson also stated that plans were imminent to pass over the Monaghan Row Council Offices over to the Southern Trust. He also spoke of Southern Trust intentions to transfer acute services from Daisy Hill into a Community Treatment Centre in Newry. (This will be a privately built building which will be rented by the Southern Trust for 27 years, so not HSC owned).

TIME FOR ACTION – EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEETING AND MARCH NEEDED

Now it is time again, that the people asked Newry Mourne & Down Council for their concentrated support to organise to call for action and proper treatment of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, the Area Hospital for Newry & Mourne and South Armagh.

In 2014 when the Southern Trust announced they wanted to centralise all Acute Stroke Services from Newry to Craigavon, the former Newry & Mourne Council unanimously supported the people’s campaign against this unfair and unjust decision. 

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital - enhance stroke services in Newry Public Rally 2015

Newry & Mourne Council did an excellent job of organising a large Rally and March in Newry, wrote to the Southern Trust with their objections and ran a successful united Save Our Stroke Services Campaign. This Save Our Stroke services at Daisy Hill, Newry Rally was 8 years ago this weekend on Saturday 28th March 2015.

We need Newry, Mourne and Down Council to support the people in a similar way with a united campaign to support Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and the proposed loss of another Specialist Service – this time, Emergency Surgery from the Newry city hospital.

We need Newry Mourne & Down Council’s support and for them to organise another March in Newry on a Saturday as soon as possible.

Daisy Hill for life is calling on all citizens of Newry & Mourne and Down to please contact, talk to, and write to our District Councillors for help today on the Southern trust’s plan to withdraw permanently, timely, life saving emergency general surgery from Newry City’s Area Acute Hospital Daisy Hill.

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL, NEWRY CITY IS NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY

The Newry Mourne & Down District Council should be aware that this isn’t the first time since 2014 that Daisy Hill was under threat of permanent removal of timely life saving Acute Stroke or Acute Emergency services under the direction of the Southern Trust, especially since the publication of the advice given by: 

1. The Bengoa Report 2016 – where they used Stroke Services in the Southern Trust as a Local Case Study and canvassed for Craigavon to be the only hospital to have Acute Stroke services in the Southern Trust.

2. Regional Acute Stroke Services Consultation 2019 : Daisy Hill was in none of the 5 options in the 2019 consultation for Regional Acute Stroke Services and Craigavon was named as one of only three sure to have a hyper acute and acute stroke unit.

3. In March 2020 at a key time for the world, the Southern Trust showed complete indifference on how people of Newry & Mourne and South Armagh were supposed to access Emergency Care. All Acute Services including Emergency Medical and Surgical Services, Respiratory, Direct Assessment, Children’s ED, and Acute Clinical Staff, were removed from Daisy Hill for six months.  Again making sure that Craigavon could have two adult and 1 new Children’s Emergency Department.

4. HSC Rebuilding Plans 2020 -2021 : The Southern Trust refused to put Daisy Hill Emergency Department in the Department of Health Rebuilding Plans from March to October 2020 and Daisy Hill was excluded from the NI Critical Care Network.

5. Review of Emergency Surgery Workstreams March 2022: Daisy Hill was used as a Case Study not to have Emergency Surgery in Review of Emergency Surgery Workstreams because the Southern Trust has removed Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill in February 2022.

6. Review of General Surgery 2022: The Southern Trust decision to permanently remove emergency surgery from Daisy Hill used as evidence  in the findings and advice of the Workstreams of the Review of General Surgery (which never went to public consultation to the NI Assembly for approval) and the advice given by Dr Mark Taylor to Minister Swann to decide on which hospitals would have Emergency Surgery services, or decide that Daisy Hill and South West Acute Hospitals should be changed permanently from major specialist acute hospitals into Regional Elective care centres

Daisy Hill in Newry City is the only Acute hospital serving the 2 Constituencies of Newry & Armagh & South Down, with Population of 235,877, including 60,327 under-18s; NISRA 2020
Daisy Hill in Newry City is the only Acute hospital serving the 2 Constituencies of Newry & Armagh & South Down, with Population of 235,877, including 60,327 under-18s; NISRA 2020

Newry, Mourne and Down is the 3rd highest Local Government District population in NI and its only Acute Area hospital at Daisy Hill, Newry must be prioritised for  funding and investment as a Major Specialist acute Hospital not just as an elective centre. The population here have no other timely access to an acute hospital in an emergency.

 Now is the time for positive action. Please contact your councillors and ask for an Emergency Council Meeting and a Public Rally/March to be organised to take place on a Saturday in Newry in support of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry. This must happen before the Councillors break for council elections.

Contact info for your councillors available here: https://www.newrymournedown.org/your-councillors

The Consultation on Provision of Emergency Surgery in the Southern Trust closes on Friday 21st April 2023. It is also important that the people of Newry Mourne & Down take part in this consultation. More information on how you can take part in the Southern Trust Emergency Surgery Consultation 2023 will soon be provided here and on Daisy Hill for Life face book page. https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife Thank you.

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

Text, graphics and logo ©Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2023.

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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06.29.22
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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)

06.23.22
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IT’S 2022 AND DAISY HILL NEEDS YOU! in the Dept. of Health Urgent and Emergency Care Consultation (Closes 1st July 2022)

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

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

Support Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in the Reshaping stroke services Department of Health NI 2017 consultation. stroke services. Newry and Mourne is the right place for a hyperacute stroke unit.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE PART IN THIS CONSULTATION

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

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

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

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

A Clear vision for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital - Newry _Daisy Hill for Life
Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City

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

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

HOW TO RETURN YOUR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE CONSULTATION BY EMAIL

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

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

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

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

Write your message and finally click Send

 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH NI CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS LINK

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

Closing Date:  Friday 1st July 2022 at 5pm

WAYS TO RESPOND: 

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

By Online Questionnaire > Using :

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

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

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

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

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

  1. DEMOGRAPHICS

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

2. COST OF LIVING

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

3. ECONOMY & JOBS

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

4. CLIMATE CHANGE

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

5. RURAL PROOFING

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

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

*BACKGROUND 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2020 Newry Mourne and Down (NMD) had the highest number of Fatal collisions, Serious collisions and Number of Seriously injured according to Recorded Injury Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) statistics.

BACKGROUND 2

ROAD ACCIDENTS:

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

(1) Fatal collisions ,

(2) Serious collisions and

(3) Number of Seriously injured

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

ROAD ACCIDENTS – CHILD CASUALITIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can keep making a difference for Daisy Hill!

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

06.14.22
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Consultation on changes to Access to Urgent & Emergency Care Services 2022 (Department of Health NI)

Department of Health NI proposals to radically change HOW and WHERE the public can ACCESS Accident and Emergency Care, are out for consultation, so the people can agree or disagree to this permanent Change or Withdrawal of Services.

The Urgent and Emergency Care Services Review Consultation 2022* proposes plans to re-organise the current system of ACCESS to Urgent and Emergency Care Services (including Hospitals). It also deals with “how older people and others will be offered treatment in the community to avoid admission or delays in hospital.” The Consultation says changes are needed to help with issues like over-crowded EDS, too many patients waiting over 12 hours.

What will these proposals mean for you and the people of Newry & Mourne, South Down and South Armagh, Banbridge, Armagh etc?

Future services and investment for all Hospitals in NI including Newry’s Area Hospital, Daisy Hill will depend on these new changes.

Department of Health NI Urgent and Emergency Care Services Review Consultation 2022

The Urgent and Emergency Care Consultation Report suggests that future Emergency/ Urgent Care Services should use the “experience gained locally” during the pandemic.
The people will remember that during pandemic THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY SERVICE IN NEWRY under the Southern Trust from 28th March 2020 to 19th October 2020.

The local experience / service was, the Southern Trust CLOSED the Emergency Surgery & Emergency Medical services at Daisy Hill Hospital Type 1 ED in Newry, and Daisy Hill staff were re-deployed –to provide 3 EDs including a children’s ED in Craigavon hospital.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry was designated to be one of the 9 Major Acute Hospitals with 24/7 consultant -led Emergency Surgery and  Emergency Medical Services necessary to provide Acute hospital services fairly to everyone no matter where they choose to live in NI in 2003.    

However, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Southern Trust was  the only Health and Social Care Trust in NI to close an acute hospital Type 1 ED. 

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital has also been left out of the NI Critical Care Network, and the Southern Trust Stage 1 and Stage 2 Rebuilding plans, showing little regard for the unscheduled care needs of the large populations Daisy Hill was designated as an Acute Hospital for. 

Time for Investment for Newry +Mourne LGD 2020

The Southern Trust consistently LEAVES DAISY HILL HOSPITAL, NEWRY OUT of their necessary Capital Priorities Business plans submitted to the Department of Health.  Because of this -Daisy Hill in Newry City is the only Acute hospital in all of NI waiting on finance for future Redevelopment, especially the  NEW hospital building, which was agreed by the Secretary of State in 2005. 

PROPOSED LOCATIONS FOR URGENT AND EMERGENCY CARE SERVICES

The Department of Health Review and Consultation does not give Names of Locations for Future Urgent and  Emergency services, but instead state they will provide them in the “RIGHT PLACE”.

Newry & District with 159,600 patients has the 2nd highest number of patients on GP Federation Registers in NI.   We need to tell the Department of Health in this Consultation that based on POPULATION size, DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL, NEWRY IS THE RIGHT PLACE for Type 1 Consultant-Led Emergency Department with and Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

The Department of Health NI wants us to tell them if they have left anything out of the Urgent and Emergency Services Consultation Proposals before they finalise the plan.  All views put forward to the Consultation will go directly to the decision makers at the Department of Health; whose responsibility it is to assess the health needs of the population, and to then commission services, based on this. 

STROKE IS A MAJOR 999 EMERGENCY 

Stroke Services are being consulted on again in this consultation, as it is a major Emergency service which we are still told to ring 999 for.   The Bengoa Report inappropriately recommended the Centralisation of Stroke services from Daisy Hill, Newry City to Craigavon.  The result of which was shown in the Department of Health NI Consultation on Reshaping Stroke Services in  2019 when Daisy Hill’s Stroke Unit was unfairly LEFT OUT of all the Options for Location of Acute and Hyper-acute Stroke units.   Craigavon, because of the Bengoa Recommendation as a local Case Study was in ALL of the Options for both Hyper-acute and Acute stroke Units, while Newry’s Daisy Hill was in NONE.

Act FAST Stroke - HyperAcute Stroke Unit for Newry 2019

No reply was ever given to any of the 19,000 people in NI who responded to the ‘Reshaping Stroke Services’ Consultation and many objected or gave alternatives to the proposals. This needs to be cleared up NOW as this consultation is in provision of Emergency/Urgent Care for the future.

If you want to make sure you can still access Emergency services at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry, in the future – This is how we tell them -We are ENTITLED TO IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO 24/7 CONSULTANT-LED EMERGENCY SURGICAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL, NEWRY CITY.   You can reply to the Consultation questionnaire online and in writing until 01 July 2022.  (Link below)

People power through Consultations -Based on demographics Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry should be confirmed as a location for a Hyperacute and Acute Stroke Unit

More information on this Dept. Of Health NI Consultation will follow shortly on Daisy Hill for Life Facebook page and on this blog Daisy Hill Hospital for life

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

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

REFERENCE
*Review of Urgent and Emergency Care Services in Northern Ireland – Consultation Report & Strategic Priorities Department of Health Northern Ireland, 2022.

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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© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2022

© 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 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you.

02.28.22
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Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry is one of the 9 Major Acute Hospitals in the Regional Network, designated in 2003 like Antrim, Ulster, etc

Newry & Mourne, South Armagh Area Acute Hospital at Daisy Hill, in Newry city

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry earned the right to be recognised as a Major functioning Acute Hospital because it was designated in 2003 as one of the nine Major Acute Hospitals, in its own right, like Antrim, Ulster, the Royal Group, etc. These nine acute hospitals were designated to provide 24/7 vital life saving Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care to the population of NI no matter where they choose to live. (Ref 1*)

The population size of Newry & Mourne has consistently been the largest Locality in the Southern Trust operational area and the population needs Emergency Surgery in their Type 1 Emergency Department at Daisy Hill, Newry city. (Ref 2)

Since Famine times (1840’s) Newry’s Area Hospital and its compassionate staff have provided an open door to Emergency or Unscheduled care to everyone who went to there for help.

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

But now in February 2022, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust are withdrawing vital life saving Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital Newry City, again without Public Consultation, or adhering to statutory duties imposed on Health Trusts by Section 75 of the NI Act 1998. They are yet again citing Southern Trust recruitment problems as the reason.

Firstly in 2016 they said they couldn’t get any consultants to replace the consultant who was retiring. The Health Minister at the time fairly agreed to fund Locums to keep the Emergency Department up and running until permanent consultants were recruited.

Since 2016, the Southern Trust, without going to any Public Consultation, have used their own recruitment problems as an excuse to avoid carrying out their Statutory function to Provide Hospital Accommodation and Services in the 24/7 Emergency Surgical and /or Emergency Medical Department in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

In March 2020 The Southern Trust – the only Health Trust in NI to shut down a Type1 Acute Hospital vital life saving Emergency Department for 7 months, refused to keep the doors of Daisy Hill open to provide Emergency Surgery, Emergency Medical and Respiratory Care in Daisy Hill, Newry City, when it was needed most by the Newry & Mourne population of 106,813 people, including 28,116 under 18s at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic.

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust stated that Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical and Respiratory Care for the whole Southern Trust population would only be provided in Craigavon, leaving Newry, South Down and South Armagh without any Emergency Surgical, Emergency Medical, or Respiratory Care for children or adults alike, while Craigavon would have 2 EDs for adults and 1 new ED for Children.

Covid 19 does not excuse them from Screening and Equality Impact Assessments.

The Southern Trust are required under Section 75 of the 1998 NI Act to address the impact their decision to remove Emergency Surgery will have on people of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status, sexual orientation, men and women generally, people who are disabled and those who are not and people who have dependants and those without in the Newry & Mourne – South Down and South Armagh area. (Ref: 3)

The three good relations categories are people of different religious belief, political opinion, and racial group. (Ref 4)

FUNCTION OF THE SOUTHERN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TRUST

The Southern Trust needs to stop looking for ways to centralise Emergency Services to Craigavon and provide more – (not less) beds, equipment, more medical staff, and bring Daisy Hill (Newry, South Down and South Armagh Area Hospital up to state of the art modern building standards with its fair share of capital expenditure investment as they are constantly doing in Craigavon.

They need to acknowledge and comply with their Functions clearly set out in the Southern Health and Social Services Trust 2006 Establishment Order (Ref 5)

which are:-

2(a)”to provide hospital accommodation and services at Craigavon Area Hospital, Craigavon, Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, Longstone Hospital, Armagh, Lurgan Hospital, Lurgan, Mullinure Hospital, Armagh, St Luke’s Hospital, Armagh, and South Tyrone Hospital, Dungannon, and associated premises;

Southern Health and Social Services Trust 2006 Establishment Order

The Southern Trust Establishment Order does not give them the right to WITHDRAW accommodation (beds) or services (including staff) from Daisy Hill hospital.

If the Southern Trust want to take away vital life saving Emergency Surgery services which have been there for over 100 years, then they need to have a better excuse than their own inability to recruit medics.

And if the Southern Trust are genuinely concerned about their inability to recruit medics then they can recruit general surgery Locums for Daisy Hill like they are recruiting for Craigavon Hospital.

( BACKGROUND)

Ref 1 * Developing Better Services 2003, Department of Health NI

*Please Note: There are now 10 ten acute hospitals -as it was shown that the New South West Hospital in Enniskillen was also needed. (See also: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2017/08/17/daisy-hill-hospital-an-acutely-important-fact/

and https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2022/02/07/newry-citys-acute-hospital-daisy-hill-is-entitled-to-its-rightful-place-in-the-ni-type-1-acute-hospital-regional-network/

Ref 2: See Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency NISRA Tables at ; https://www.nisra.gov.uk/

Ref 3: https://www.equalityni.org/ECNI/media/ECNI/Publications/Individuals/Leaflet-KnowYourRights.pdf

Ref 4: https://www.equalityni.org/ECNI/media/ECNI/Publications/Employers%20and%20Service%20Providers/Public%20Authorities/Good_Relations_Public-Authorities-Summary_Guide.pdf

Ref 5: Southern Health and Social Services Trust (Establishment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006

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

Nature and functions of the trust:

2(a) to provide hospital accommodation and services at:

Craigavon Area Hospital, 68 Lurgan Road, Portadown, Craigavon BT63 5QQ,

Daisy Hill Hospital, 5 Hospital Road, Newry, BT35 8DR,

Longstone Hospital, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh BT61 7PR,

Lurgan Hospital, Sloan Street, Lurgan, Co Armagh BT66 8NS,

Mullinure Hospital, Loughall Road, Armagh BT61 7NN,

St Luke’s Hospital, 71 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7NQ,

South Tyrone Hospital, Carland Road, Dungannon BT71 4AU, and associated premises;

(b) to provide community based health and personal social services from the trust headquarters and associated premises; and

(c) to exercise, on behalf of Health and Social Services Boards, such relevant functions as are so exercisable by the trust by virtue of authorisations for the time being in operation under Article 3(1) of the Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1994

Southern Health and Social Services Trust (Establishment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006
Daisy Hill Emergency Department served 53555+ people in 2016 - banner

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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.

02.20.22
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TIME TO ADDRESS EQUALITY – SOUTHERN TRUST MUST ADDRESS SECTION 75 DUTIES – DURING THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS, NOT AFTERWARDS.

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

It appears that the Southern Trust have decided, against the wishes of the people who have paid for the service, to remove Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City from 28th February 2022, leaving the population abandoned without any nearby alternative to provide life saving Emergency Surgery.

This highly controversial decision has been made by the Southern Trust without any Public Consultation, or  Equality Impact Assessment showing they had not given due regard  to their duties under Section 75 of the 1998 NI Act.

These Section 75 duties have to be addressed DURING the decision-making process, NOT AFTERWARDS. The Equality Commission in NI gives clear guidance to Public Authorities on their duties under Section 75 NI 1998 Act.

The Southern Trust are required under Section 75 of the 1998 NI Act to address the impact their decision to remove Emergency Surgery will have on people of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status, sexual orientation, men and women generally, people who are disabled and those who are not and people who have dependants and those without in the Newry, Mourne South Down and South Armagh Area.

The three good relations categories are: people of different religious belief; political opinion and racial group.

It is a fundamental right of everyone who is in need of Immediate life saving Emergency Surgical Care to be seen immediately as at present in all of the ten Emergency Departments in NI no matter where they are located within NI.

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.
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City is the longest established major acute hospital in the Southern Trust 

The people of Newry & Mourne (which includes South Down and South Armagh) continue to pay extensively through Rates and Taxes including National Insurance contributions to ensure they have a fully functioning Acute Hospital with a 24/7 Type 1 Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Department, to look after their population should they need it when they are at their most sick and vulnerable at the Newry & Mourne, South Armagh Area Hospital at Daisy Hill.

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry City is the longest established major acute hospital in the Southern Trust – We have a right to have our say through meaningful Public Consultation and be shown Equality Impact Assessments when any service the Southern Trust must provide is being taken away. We have prepaid for our Life Saving Emergency services and are entitled to Value for Money the same as everyone else in NI.

This is not up for negotiation.

Newry & Mourne has always had the largest population in the operational area of the Southern Trust with a population of 106,813 including 28,116 aged Under 18. (NISRA 2020).

Newry City must have a fully functioning Major Acute Hospital which includes Consultant Led Type 1 ED with Emergency Surgery like all of the Acute Hospital Type 1 Regional Network EDs in NI.

KEYFACTS

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital is located in Newry, Gateway City to NI, where (in Jan to Dec 2021) 51,668 men, women and children needed Emergency Surgical and/or Emergency Medical Care.

In the year April 2018 to March 2019 (before the Southern Trust closed DHH ED at the start of Covid) over 2,200 patients were admitted to Daisy Hill acute Hospital for non-elective surgery through the Emergency Department.

This is a clear indication of the need for this vital life saving service

Section 75 duties have to be addressed DURING the decision-making process, NOT AFTERWARDS. The Equality Commission in NI gives clear guidance to Public Authorities on their duties under Section 75 NI 1998 Act.
Section 75 Duties must be addressed by Public Authorities
Section 75 duties must be addressed DURING the decision-making process, NOT AFTERWARDS. The Equality Commission in NI gives clear guidance to Public Authorities on their duties under Section 75 NI 1998 Act.

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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11.25.19
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NI Stroke Consultation: Call for Dept. of Health to Assess for Population Health and Rural Needs as Next phase of Work

NI Stroke Consultation -Call for Dept. of Health to Assess for population health and Rural Needs

Dept.of Health NI have stated in Hospital Reconfiguration Update Nov 2019 that 19,000 responses were submitted to NI ‘Reshaping Stroke Care’ Centralisation proposals and 4,500 responses received on proposed centralisation of NI Reshaping Breast Assessment Services.

The Department’s plans to proceed after these two consultations differ radically with a plan to carry out a Population Health Needs Assessment for BREAST ASSESSMENT but NOT FOR STROKE SERVICES.

The two statements on (1) Stroke and (2) Breast Assessment services appear below.
(1) Statement on ‘Reshaping Stroke Care’ services:

“A consultation on improving stroke services to improve outcomes launched in March 2019. The consultation document set out seven commitments to improve stroke care across the stroke pathway, alongside six potential options for the establishment of a hyperacute stroke network in Northern Ireland.
19,000 consultation responses were received. The Department is currently analysing consultation responses to inform the development of a preferred model for stroke care.”

Dept. of Health NI (DoH) 2019 Hospital Reconfiguration Update

(2) Statement on ‘Reshaping Breast Assessment Services’ :
“A consultation on proposals to improve breast assessment services ran from 25 March to 30 August 2019.
Over 4,500 responses have been received. The Department is currently analysing all responses. This will help to inform the next phase of work to review breast cancer treatment services which is commencing with a Population Needs Assessment. Further details will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Dept. of Health NI (DoH) 2019 Hospital Reconfiguration Update
Official statistics, as presented by NISRA must determine where Specialist acute Hospitals are located in NI.

POPULATION HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT VITAL FOR BOTH STROKE SERVICES AND BREAST CANCER SERVICES.

The Department’s plan to carry out a “Population Health Needs Assessment” for Breast Cancer services as a next phase of work is a good proposal, but where is the plan to carry out a Population Health Needs Assessment for specialist emergency, inpatient, outpatient and rehabilitation treatment for Stroke Services covering the complete stroke pathway – across NI? THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE.

A failure to carry out accurate Population Needs Assessments for health services is a recurring theme in the Southern Trust area – NO NEEDS ASSESSMENT WAS UNDERTAKEN as part of the SOUTHERN TRUST STROKE CONSULTATION in 2014.

Despite this, the 2016 Full Bengoa Expert Panel Report used the controversial proposed removal of Specialist Acute Stroke services, and its specialist Acute Stroke staff, from Daisy Hill acute Hospital in Newry as the prime local Case Study for Centralising Stroke Services in NI.

The full Bengoa Report inappropriately promoted (quote below) the choice of Craigavon Hospital for a Specialist Stroke Unit, singled out ahead of all other NI hospitals, and WITH NO NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

This was proposed to make sure that Craigavon could have a 24/7 specialist Stroke Centre leaving Daisy Hill Newry without its existing life saving combined specialist Acute Rehabilitation Stroke Unit and its valuable specialist stroke staff.

“In 2014…, a decision was taken to create a single specialist stroke inpatient unit within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, at Craigavon Area Hospital. The Trust is proposing to provide a consistent and specialist service 24/7 in one centre rather than spreading the specialist team of staff across four sites. Daisy Hill Hospital will continue to provide ongoing rehabilitation and support through community stroke teams working to a regionally agreed care model.”

Bengoa Expert Panel 2016 (Full Report) (pg 72/ 73).

WHY ASSESS NEED?

Population Needs Assessments are widely recognised as a statutory requirement for health commissioning across the UK to ensure fairness and to reduce inequalities. A Needs Assessment is absolutely vital to ensure that immediate access to stroke services is available for all NI stroke patients – not just those attending hospitals confirmed in all six options in the urban areas of in and around Belfast namely the Royal, Craigavon and Altnagelvin.

POPULATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT DATA MUST USE OFFICIAL NISRA STATISTICS

This Needs Assessment must be undertaken using accurate NISRA Local Government Districts Demographics – not by using (1) imaginary theoretical demand of 600 stroke patients to certain hospitals or (2) Integrated Care Partnerships (which vary across local government districts).

Neither is an accurate statistical representation of the POPULATION health needs of an area.

New investment in acute specialist hospital services, hospital beds and specialist medical staff is due in the Newry & Mourne area, in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, including in the Emergency Department.

DEPT. OF HEALTH N.I. ARE FAILING TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF NEWRY & MOURNE POPULATION

(1) Newry & Mourne LGD is consistently the HIGHEST POPULATION IN THE SOUTHERN TRUST OPERATIONAL AREA

(2) Newry & Mourne LGD is consistently the 4TH HIGHEST POPULATION IN NI -SINCE c1972

Newry and Mourne locality has always been the largest population of the 5 localities (LGDs) in the Southern Trust and must have investment for a Specialist Acute Hospital.

The DOH, PHA, HSCB and Commissioners need to take action to assess Population Health Needs and provide services for Newry & Mourne former LGD , (which includes South Armagh) both as:

(1) Newry & Mourne has been the consistently largest local government district that remains in the operational area of the Southern Trust since its inception in 2007. NISRA demographics confirm this.

Latest official population stats for the 5 LGDs in the operational area of the Southern Trust

(1)Newry & Mourne ( 105,693*); (2) Craigavon ( 101,489*); (3)Armagh(62,976*) (4) Dungannon (62,666*) and (5) Banbridge (50,717*) [ [2018* NISRA]. This has been consistently ignored by the Southern Trust since they came into operation in 2007.

(2) Newry &Mourne LGD has always been the 4th highest LGD population in NI since 1972 (for nearly 50 years) after only Belfast, Lisburn (Greater Belfast ) and Derry.

(3) NISRA demographics confirm the Newry & Mourne population is projected to be the 3rd HIGHEST LGD POPULATION IN THE WHOLE OF NI BY 2023 with 110,090 population after only (1st)Belfast (289,130) and (2nd) Lisburn (Greater Belfast): 133,106. Derry is projected to be the 4th highest population in NI with 110,028 (NISRA).

These demographics were not considered in the ‘Reshaping Stroke Care’ Consultation or by the Southern Trust. A population Health Needs Assessment using accurate statistics will show the DoH the population health needs within Newry & Mourne, including needs for specialist stroke services.

A Population Health Needs Assessment (at local Government District Level) using accurate NISRA demographics will show quite clearly the continued need for specialist Stroke staff in Daisy Hill acute Hospital combined Stroke Unit, in order to provide time crucial emergency, acute and rehabilitation stroke care for the Newry & Mourne population and further afield within the same time frame as in urban areas in NI.

Centralisation of stroke services to one area in Craigavon will not provide safe stroke care in Newry & Mourne and will cost lives.

Act FAST Stroke - HyperAcute Stroke Unit for Newry 2019

PHASE OF WORK REQUESTED:

CALL FOR THE DOH, PHA, HSCB and COMMISSIONERS TO:

1. Conduct a Full Population Health Needs Assessment at individual Local Government District level (not at Trust level) using official NISRA Statistics – not Administrative stats such as Integrated Care Partnerships or theoretical modelled hospital demand.
2. Carry out Full Rural Impact Assessment (Rural Needs Act 2016)
3. Carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to assess the Carbon Footprint implications of Centralisation
Then
4. Rewrite the Stroke Consultation and Stroke Options following these assessments, based on population needs, along with the Consultation Responses.

WHY THE STROKE OPTIONS NEED TO BE RE-WRITTEN

Under “Change or Withdrawal of services” – ALL 8 existing specialist Acute Stroke Units (including Daisy Hill, Newry combined specialist Acute Stroke Rehabilitation Unit) , NOT JUST 6 STROKE UNITS are entitled to be included in an NI wide consultation questionnaire options for upgrading to Hyperacute stroke units and retained as Acute Stroke Units.

The finally selected options must ensure immediate access to Emergency and inpatient specialist stroke Care in a fair and regionally balanced way across NI

>>>>>BACKGROUND

Dept. of Health NI latest Update to NI 2019 ‘Reshaping Stroke Care’ Consultation can be seen at the following link:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/hrn-newsletter-edition1

For Bengoa Report: Systems not Structures: Changing Health & Social Care (FULL REPORT) (link Below) See pages 72/73
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/health-policy/systems-not-structures-changing-health-and-social-care

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

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 – 2021. We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

08.20.19
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Another Call to Action for the Specialist Stroke Unit in Newry: Write for your rights!

  • NI Reshaping Stroke Care Consultation 2019 -Write for Right to Life at Daisy Hill Specialist Stroke Unit Newry

Suggested Answers to the RSC Consultation NOW AVAILABLE – including the Extra 5 Equality, Human Rights & Rural impact Questions

As the 2019 Stroke Consultation Deadline is Fri 30th August, Daisy Hill’s campaign for Hyperacute Stroke Unit status continues, with a renewed call for action for the people of Newry & Mourne, South Armagh,  South Down and surrounding areas.

Based on demographics Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry should be confirmed as a location for a Hyperacute and Acute Stroke Unit – so Suggested Answers to Reshaping Stroke Care are now ready to Download for sending back to the Department.

If you want to help but haven’t submitted any Response to the Consultation, OR if you have already signed a Support Our Stroke Services Questionnaire and need to answer the Equality Questions, both documents are available below.

1. For those YET TO REPLY to Re-shaping Stroke Care 2019 Consultation

ALL Questions Suggested Answers Version 1 (Complete Questionnaire)  is available to download and save as a new filename from this Link: All Qs Answers Reshaping Stroke Care questionnaire

OR

2. For Those who have Responded to the first Questions but not the EQUALITY\ RURAL IMPACT QUESTIONS in Reshaping Stroke Care 2019

5 EQUALITY Q’s ONLY Questionnaire is available to download and save as a new Filename from this link: 5 Equality Qs answers Reshaping Stroke Care Questionnaire

These Suggested answers are already typed onto the RSC Questionnaire in Word Format for easy access for you to download and read.  

The Answers are only intended to be a Guide for your own Answers – but if you agree with these and find it useful and time-saving– you can use all or part of the content.  You can type changes directly onto the Questionnaire, (adding or delete as you wish!) It is recommended that you do make some changes so they are not all identical. Please remember to add your name/address/email address too.

After Downloading, please remember to ‘Save As’ and Give the document a new filename – perhaps adding your Initials or Surname. For e.g. RSC_Questionaire_All_JSmith_2019

The Original RSC blank Questionnaire is available from the Department of Health NI website :  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/reshaping-stroke-care . Click on ‘Reshaping Stroke Questionnaire’(Word doc) and save.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO RESPOND  

(1) EMAIL: Email your Questionnaire \answers to the Department of Health at:  StrokeConsultation@health-ni.gov.uk

(2) ONLINE: You can copy and paste some or all the Reshaping Stroke Care ‘suggested answers’ plus add your own comments onto the online questionnaire at:

https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-healthcare-policy-group/reshaping-stroke-care-saving-lives-reducing-disabi/consultation/intro/

(3) BY POST (using First Class Stamp) post (before 4.30pm Wednesday 28th August 2019 at the latest) to:                

Reshaping Stroke Care, Hospital Services Reform, Department of Health, Annexe 3, Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast BT4 3SQ    

If you know people that would like to respond to the Consultation, that do not have a computer or do not wish to respond online, forms are available from the Department of Health.

To get a form posted to you: Phone (028) 9076 5643 and ask for a RESHAPING STROKE CARE Consultation Questionnaire. It is advisable to do this as soon as possible as All Responses must be received by the DOH before the Deadline of Friday 30th August 2019 @5pm.

All the Consultation Documents (including the Questionnaire Form are available online at   https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/reshaping-stroke-care

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

THIS ACTION IS TO FURTHER SUPPLEMENT THE EXCELLENT WORK ALREADY DONE BY SUPPORT OUR STROKE SERVICES COMMITTEE

As you know, another Campaign Group, Support Our Stroke Services Committee organised Community Outreach events over the summer in Shops, Shopping Centres and local places to encourage people to sign Questions from the Online Questionnaire.  These Questionnaires supported the community goal to ensure that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital both retains its acute specialist Stroke Unit and is elevated to a Specialist Centre with Hyperacute Stroke Unit.

Many thousands signed these Consultation Questions up to the Alternative Option Question, but answering the remaining Equality & Human Rights Questions is an absolutely vital part of this whole process.

The flawed Department of Health Consultation Questionnaire prevented access to the Equality Questions previously, as these Questions could only be reached once you had selected one of the Options and every one of them excludes Daisy Hill Hospital.

Now with the Extended deadline – we have the opportunity to supplement the ‘Support Our Stroke Services’ Committee facilitated Questionnaires by submitting the rest of the 5 Equality Questions to support the need for a Hyperacute Stroke Unit in Daisy Hill, Newry.

  • People power through Consultations -Based on demographics Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry should be confirmed as a location for a Hyperacute and Acute Stroke Unit
  • The united community of Newry and Mourne and South Armagh will work together to ENHANCE stroke services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital
  • Act FAST Stroke - HyperAcute Stroke Unit for Newry 2019

The people from Newry & Mourne, South Armagh,  South Down and surrounding areas, still stand together to challenge the flawed Consultation document which deliberately excluded Daisy Hill’s specialist combined Acute Stroke Rehabilitation Unit from the proposed Options in Reshaping Stroke Care, but every-one of us need to continue to put the case in writing.

STILL NEED CONVINCING?

Time is Brain - Urban and Rural -None of the Options in the NI Stroke Consultattion are best for all of NI. Every minute matters during a stroke says London Stroke Strategy.

The DoH states that the proposals will have MINOR IMPACT in NI. This is not the case in Newry & Mourne, Down and South Armagh area where there will be MAJOR IMPACT on the lives of stroke patients.

There will be removal of scanning, administration of the crucially time dependant clot-busting drug Alteplase and removal of direct access into a specialist acute stroke rehabilitation unit from Daisy Hill acute Hospital as if it never existed.

This includes losing existing direct access to the Royal for Thrombectomy from Daisy Hill Hospital.

Your life could depend on it.

We must challenge the Department of Health by answering this Consultation – The more the better to get the message through loud and clear. We can do it with YOUR help.

WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER !

Thank you.

Daisy-Hill-still-needs-you!-call-to-action-for-the-specialist-stroke-unit-in-Newry

For background information on the 2019 NI stroke Consultation document – please see the following post:

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2019/05/05/ni-stroke-consultation-2019-overview/

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

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2019. Thank-you!

07.30.19
by

Clinical evidence proves the importance of ‘Golden Hour’ in Emergency Stroke care

The effectiveness of stroke treament within the ‘Golden Hour’ is well documented in clinical research and in the stroke treatment community. (Hussain, M.S.(2018); Fassbender, K.et al (2013); Saver, J.(2006,2010)

Clinical evidence proves the importance of the ‘GOLDEN HOUR’ in Emergency Stroke care, but ‘Golden Hour’ is not recognised by Department of Health (DoH).

It is well known that STROKE is a 999 EMERGENCY where every second counts for the patient receiving acute stroke care and the critically time dependant clot-busting drug Alteplase used in Thrombolysis.

The options given in the 2019 Stroke consultation show clearly that the Department of Health NI are IGNORING the fact that every stroke patient, no matter where they live, needs to be seen and treated as an Acute Stroke Care 999 Emergency ideally within the ‘Golden Hour’. This means making pre hospital travel times as SHORT AS POSSIBLE, so that the patient can ideally be treated within the ‘Golden Hour ‘from onset of stroke to needle time.
Rather than make pre-hospital travel times SHORTER, the DoH are proposing to make pre hospital travel times LONGER for patients living in Newry Mourne & Down and other areas in NI.

Stroke patients who presently are scanned in Daisy Hill (and if eligible) given Thrombolysis are already immediately transferred to the Royal for Thrombectomy if suitable.

If 2019 Reshaping Stroke Care proposals go ahead, dying stroke patients WILL BE DENIED IMMEDIATE TREATMENT and have to be transferred to Craigavon, 45 minutes away (to see if they are even suitable for Thrombolysis, never mind Thrombectomy) and will have much worse outcomes due to the delay in transfer and will be denied the best chance for survival.

TIME DELAY IN GETTING 999 EMERGENCY CARE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

It is not acceptable that people from the Rural Areas of NI who will already have travelled long distances to access existing specialist Stroke Units, (using up precious minutes of the ‘Golden Hour’ already) will have to travel even FURTHER, losing vital brain cells and causing untold brain damage on the journey. It also means that patients who suffer a stroke when in hospital or ED will be denied access to the existing specialist Acute Stroke/Rehab Unit in Newry and denied immediate treatment.

WHY IS THE FIRST HOUR TERMED ‘GOLDEN’?

The Golden Hour in stroke is well supported by Clinical Evidence

The effectiveness of treatment in the GOLDEN HOUR is well documented in the emergency medicine and stroke treatment community, even if our DoH refuse to recognise the term ‘Golden Hour’ in the recent FAQ/ Frequently asked Questions supplement to the consultation document (see FAQ5).

It is well known that patients receiving treatment within the first 60 minutes of symptom onset, (termed the Golden Hour,) have the greatest opportunity to benefit from restoration of blood flow therapy with respect to disability and living independently. This time-frame is when the volume of salvageable brain and the patient’s capacity to benefit from clot-busting therapy are greatest.
The reason the first hour of stroke is called ‘golden’ is because stroke patients have a much greater chance of SURVIVING and avoiding long-term brain damage if they arrive at the hospital and receive treatment with a clot-busting drug called TPA (Altepalse) within that first hour from onset of stroke:

“Therapeutic benefit is maximal in the first minutes after symptom onset and declines rapidly during the next 4.5 hours.” (Saver MD)

DoH DO NOT RECOGNISE THE TERM ‘GOLDEN HOUR.’

The DoH try to justify selectively making Stroke patients travel further for immediate Emergency Stroke Care during the ‘Golden Hour’ from onset of stroke in Newry Mourne & Down by stating that: “the Golden Hour is not a recognised term in Stroke Care. In our healthcare system we work to the National Clinical Guidelines for stroke, which is the definitive source of how stroke care should be delivered in the UK.”

It is the DoH’s opinion that: “The most important factor in stroke care is not the time to hospital. It is the time to expert assessment, brain scanning and treatment that is critical.” (See FAQ 5:Taken from Questions and Answers Supplement to 2019 Stroke Consultation).

The Golden Hour in stroke is well supported by Clinical Evidence

CLINICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTING IMPORTANCE OF ‘GOLDEN HOUR’

At the International Stroke Conference 2018 in Los Angeles M. Shazam Hussain, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic Cerebrovascular Center presented significant findings that the “golden hour” is proving to live up to its name, even for patients with one of the most serious forms of ischemic stroke.

According to this study, 52 percent of individuals suffering an ischemic stroke had better long-term outcomes if they received Thrombolysis medication (Alteplase) within 60 minutes of symptom onset. This compares to only 27 percent of patients showing good long-term outcomes – with respect to disability and living independently — if administered Alteplase beyond the golden hour.

A summary of The Lancet article (2013): ‘Streamlining of pre-hospital stroke management: the golden hour’ reinforces the importance of the narrow time-frame or ‘Golden Hour’:

“Thrombolysis with Alteplase administered within a narrow therapeutic window provides an effective therapy for acute ischaemic stroke. However, mainly because of prehospital delay, patients often arrive too late for treatment, and no more than 1–8% of patients with stroke obtain this treatment.

We recommend that ALL LINKS in the PREHOSPITAL STROKE RESCUE CHAIN must be optimised so that in the future more than a small minority of patients can profit from time-sensitive acute stroke therapy.”

The Lancet article (2013)

Therefore pre-hospital travel time for the Newry Mourne and Down population should also be shortened, not lengthened, in receiving 999 Emergency Stroke Care to save lives with better outcomes.

  • 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.
  • Act FAST Stroke - HyperAcute Stroke Unit for Newry 2019

DAISY HILL, NEWRY IS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A HYPERACUTE STROKE UNIT – A VITAL OMISSION FROM THE 6 PROPOSED 2019 STROKE CONSULTATION OPTIONS

Newry Mourne and Down – with a population of 180,000 is the third largest Local Government District population in NI. Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City with its STRATEGIC LOCATION – is the right place, entitled to have a hyperacute stroke unit co-located with an acute stroke unit.

This option will give a fair and equitable chance of survival with better outcomes for dying stroke patients in this LGD, like the population attending the Royal, Altnagelvin and Craigavon.

‘TIME LOST IS BRAIN LOST.’

The Emergency Stroke Care “Golden Hour” is already a very narrow time-frame. Additional delay in pre-hospital travel times which the DoH are selectively imposing on the Rural Catchment population of Newry Mourne and Down will cost lives, not save saves and cannot be condoned.

The population is entitled to fair and equitable treatment, so this proposal to withdraw emergency and specialist acute stroke care from the combined Specialist Acute Stroke/Rehab Unit, which has existed since pre-2003 in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry, must be challenged!

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

© Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook and http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com, 2015 – 2021. We welcome sharing of this info and the use of excerpts and links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

07.20.19
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Largest rural population in NI: Newry, Mourne and Down Local Gov. District must have immediate access to life saving 999 Emergency Stroke Care

Withdrawal of immediate access to life saving 999 Emergency Stroke Care, including direct admission into the existing specialist Acute Stroke Unit from Newry, Mourne & Down Locality is not fair and equitable treatment. Under the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 due regard must be given by Public Authorities to the needs of rural populations to fairly access key public services. This includes immediate, not delayed access to hospital stroke care. The largest rural population is in Northern Ireland is in Newry, Mourne & Down Local Government District which includes South Armagh.

Under the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 due regard must be given by Public Authorities to the needs of rural populations to fairly access key public services. This includes immediate, not delayed access to hospital stroke care.

The largest rural population is in Northern Ireland is in Newry, Mourne & Down Local Government District which includes South Armagh.

Since 2018, the Rural Needs Act 2016 (NI), which aims to deliver fairer and more equitable treatment in Rural areas, must be adhered to by all Public bodies in NI. Because of this, the Dept. of Health filled in a Rural Needs Assessment Form to accompany the 2019 NI Stroke Consultation.

Definition of Rural in Rural Needs Assessment Form

On this form, the definition of “Rural” which according to the DOH “is better able to distinguish between those who will be MOST IMPACTED by additional travel times caused by proposed changes to services is:
“Populations outside of a 30 minute drive time of Derry/Londonderry or Belfast”

Using the above definition confirms that the 5 Urban hospitals in the Stroke Consultation 2019 are:
Altnagelvin, Royal Victoria, Craigavon, Antrim and Ulster hospitals,
while there are only three Rural Acute hospitals:–
Daisy Hill, Newry, Causeway Hospital, Coleraine and South West Hospital, Enniskillen.

The DoH’s reply to Question 2B in the Rural Needs Assessment states:

“The key impact that differently affects rural dwellers is likely to relate to travel times to hospital etc.” They continue:
“ALL OF THE OPTIONS outlined in the consultation document INCLUDE the provision of hospital care” at “Altnagelvin, Craigavon and Royal Victoria Hospital” (all URBAN Sites.) “Therefore people living in the catchment areas for these three sites WILL NOT experience any increase in respect of travel times. Under the potential options, people living in the catchment areas for Causeway Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital, WOULD experience an INCREASE in journey times if taken to hospital after a suspected stroke.”

INCREASE IN JOURNEY TIMES AFTER A SUSPECTED STROKE FOR RURAL CATCHMENT AREAS

From research by Werner Hacke, MD It is known that the drug “Alteplase” used in Thrombolysis, is nearly twice as effective when administered WITHIN the first 1.5 hours after stroke as it is when administered 1.5 to 3 hours after stroke.

Yet, The DoH have admitted, above, that there WILL BE AN INCREASE IN JOURNEY TIMES for people living in the Rural Catchment areas of Causeway and Daisy Hill hospitals, and that people living in the Urban catchment areas of Altnagelvin, Craigavon, and Royal Victoria hospitals WILL NOT experience any increase in respect of travel times.

They have decided also to WITHDRAW COMPLETELY the existing stroke units in the Rural Locations of Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry and Causeway Hospital, Coleraine. This proposal means dying stroke patients from these Rural localities will have to TRAVEL FURTHER for the CRITICALLY TIME DEPENDENT, LIFE-SAVING drug Alteplase used in Thrombolysis, and direct access from ED into the existing combined Specialist Acute/Rehabilitation Stroke Units in Daisy Hill, Newry, and Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, essential to save lives.

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

The 3 Urban Hospitals Altnagelvin, Craigavon, and Royal Victoria will never experience an increase in travel times because they feature in all 6 Options in the 2019 Stroke Questionnaire to be upgraded to Hyperacute stroke units with co-located Acute Stroke Units.

RURAL HOSPITALS OF DAISY HILL AND CAUSEWAY OMITTED FROM ALL SIX OPTIONS

However the two Rural hospitals of Daisy Hill and Causeway have been omitted altogether from all six options, confirming they will be shut down as if they never existed as part of the network providing 999 Emergency Stroke care to the population of NI.

THERE ARE NO RURAL HOSPITALS INCLUDED IN ALL 6 OPTIONS FOR HYPERACUTE AND ACUTE STROKE UNITS.

The DOH forget that Rurality is a factor in allocating Health and Social Care Funding which means that there is extra money to provide services in Rural areas which should be taken into account in deciding where stroke Units will be provided.

*********RURAL NEEDS ACT (2016)*************

To have Three Hyperacute stroke units for Urban Areas of NI in all 6 Options and NO Option for a Hyperacute Stroke Unit for the Catchment population for the LARGEST RURAL POPULATION in NI namely Newry, Mourne & Down (which includes S.Armagh) Local Government District is NOT FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT in revising policies, strategies and plans, and designing and delivering public services such as Acute Stroke Care under the 2016 Rural Needs Act.

The Rural Needs Act NI 2016, (which is not a devolved matter) is there to PROTECT the Rural Population from this unfair treatment and “can relate to the ability to access key public services such as health, the ability to access suitable employment opportunities, and the ability to enjoy a healthy lifestyle”.

NEWRY MOURNE & DOWN LOCALITY SHOULD ALREADY HAVE A MAJOR ACUTE HOSPITAL

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.

There is no doubt that Newry Mourne and Down LGD with the largest Rural population in NI with 179,000 people, SHOULD ALREADY have a major acute hospital, in Newry as proposed by Secretary of State Peter Hain in 2005.

This Stroke consultation shows that the Department of Health are not even prepared to give dying stroke patients from the largest rural Population in NI, the basic essential need of immediate access to Emergency Stroke Care.

The Rural catchment population for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry, is not being treated fairly and equitability in the same way as the catchment population of the Urban Stroke Units in Altnagelvin, Craigavon and Royal Victoria Hospitals who will have immediate access, as they should, to life saving stroke care, in Hyperacute and Acute Stroke Units without having to travel further than at present.

This deliberate plan to exclude the Rural populations need for IMMEDIATE, not delayed, access to life saving Emergency Stroke Care, including CT scanning and Thrombolysis, followed by direct access into a specialist Hyperacute Stroke Unit /Acute Stroke Unit will COST LIVES, not save lives of Stroke patients and should not be condoned.

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

“RURAL NEEDS ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2016
Duty of public authorities to have due regard to rural needs
1.(1) A public authority must have due regard to rural needs when— (a) developing, adopting, implementing or revising policies, strategies and plans, and (b) designing and delivering public services.
6. In this Act— “the Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; “rural needs” means the social and economic needs of persons in rural areas.”
‘PUBLIC AUTHORITIES’ include:
A Northern Ireland department
A district council
A Health and Social Care Trust
Invest Northern Ireland
The Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-Being
The Regional Health and Social Care Board