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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proposals to help deal with the unanswered questions

WHAT WE CALL FOR:  (PROPOSAL 1)

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

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

(b) To give a clear explanation on exactly which services are being ‘changed or withdrawn’ from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital.

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

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

WHAT WE CALL FOR:  (PROPOSAL 2)

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

The 2 Proposals explained

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONCLUSION

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

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

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

REFERENCES & CONTACT INFO for public representatives:

Newry Mourne & Down Council

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

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

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

Elected members (Councillors) :

http://www.newrymournedown.org/elected_members

MLAs; MP; MEPs

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

Newry & Armagh MLAs

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

From this page, Filter by Constituency > Newry & Armagh

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

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

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

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

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