Tag Archives: Mountnorris

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
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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.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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

04.14.19
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QUESTION OF TRUST – comparing Southern and Western Trust’s Stroke Proposals for 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.

One of the Functions of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust under the 2006 Establishment Order is to PROVIDE SERVICES – (not take away existing services) to the population of the five former Local Government Districts (LGD)s  or Localities of            (1) Newry & Mourne LGD  (105,161); (2)Craigavon LGD (100,310); (3)Armagh LGD (62,427); (4) Dungannon LGD (62,149) and (5) Banbridge LGD (50,265).

The Southern Trust have a duty of care to plan provision of services in equal measure to all 380,312* people under their care.

Proof that the future configuration of Hyperacute and Acute stroke Units in the Northern Ireland Stroke Consultation Document 2019 was decided not only by the Department of Health, but also by all of the Health Trusts in NI,  can be seen from the Western Trust website which states:-

‘Speaking ahead of the meeting of the Western Trust Board this week, Dr Anne Kilgallen, Western Trust Chief Executive said:

“The Department of Health is leading on the Stroke Consultation and all Health and  Social Care Trusts have been actively involved in the discussions in preparation. We in the Western Trust are very pleased that both the South West Acute and Altnagelvin Hospitals are part of the options being considered.”‘

If only it could be said that the Southern Trust were also actively involved in discussions and preparations to make sure that the existing Specialist combined Acute Stroke /Rehabilitation Unit in Daisy Hill, Newry City (in the largest locality in the Southern Trust) was being put forward as a vital Hyperacute Stroke Unit, co-located with an Acute Stroke in the future network of specialist Stroke Units in NI.

Compare how inclusively the Western Health and Social Care Trust have reassured their staff and population of 301,448*, that they are doing their best to retain and enhance their TWO ACUTE STROKE UNITS in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry and the South West hospital in Enniskillen, with the Southern Trust’s approach.

The Southern Trust (SHSCT), has consistently pushed forward at every opportunity, removal of vital life saving stroke services from Daisy Hill, out of reach to Craigavon in their Centralisation Programme of all specialist services to Craigavon.   (Even the 2016 Bengoa Report’s only Local Case Study promoted SHSCTs proposal to centralise all Stroke services to Craigavon and remove them forever from Daisy Hill, Newry City).

Because of this, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City specialist combined Acute/Rehabilitation Stroke Unit, (in the largest of the five Local Government Districts in the Southern Trust), does not even warrant a mention on the list of options given in the Northern Ireland Stroke Consultation 2019.

A HASU and ASU is proposed for Craigavon, not on one, but on ALL SIX OPTIONS. It is clear from this, that nobody seems to have spoken out for provision of Stroke services in NEWRY CITY.

It also shows that the SHSCT are proposing to continue with their plans to withdraw existing life saving specialist Acute Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation Services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, without making any provision of a NEARBY alternative Specialist Stroke Unit. They are required to do this under equality of access to provide EMERGENCY timely life saving specialist services e.g. CT scanning, thrombolysis, etc and acute Stroke Rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

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).

This would ensure that everyone in the Southern Trust has, as they have at present, immediate access to CT scanning and life saving thrombolysis, followed by direct access into a stroke unit – the stroke pathway recommended by The Royal College of Physicians for better outcomes.

>The Southern Trust need at this stage to speak up for ALL the population they are duty bound to provide specialist stroke services for in the future stroke network in Northern Ireland, in the same inclusive manner as the Western Trust.

*NISRA 2017

Southern Trust population 380,312 : Western Trust population 301,448  : NISRA 2017

Sources: http://www.westerntrust.hscni.net/about/3857.htm

04.04.19
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NI Stroke Consultation: Presenting an extra Option to include the EXCLUDED populations

Q6 SUGGESTED ANSWER : 5 Hyperacute Stroke Units (HASUs) and 5 Acute Stroke Units (ASUs) at 5 acute hospitals in NI at: (1)Royal Victoria, Belfast; (2) Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, (3)South West, Enniskillen (4)Altnagelvin, Derry and (5)Causeway Hospital, Coleraine. This option is based on existing acute stroke units that already give specialist CT scanning and Thrombolysis.This option offers timely equality of access to these necessary specialist stroke services more evenly distributed across NI to include the rural population - ignored in the consultation. NI Stroke Consultation 2019: Presenting an additional Option to include all the excluded populations of Northern Ireland.

The NI Stroke Consultation: Reshaping Stroke Care – Saving Lives, Reducing Disability 2019 asks for the public’s agreement to choose an option between 6 possible options of future configuration of both hyperacute and acute stroke units in Northern Ireland (NI) even though many local Government Districts are excluded.

In these proposals, two existing stroke units in acute hospitals at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry City and Causeway Hospital in Coleraine have been completely EXCLUDED from ALL possible Options to choose in the Consultation Questionnaire, and isolated from the process completely.

ALTNAGELVIN, CRAIGAVON AND ROYAL VICTORIA HOSPITALS SELECTED IN ALL OPTIONS

Altnagelvin, Craigavon and Royal Victoria Hospitals are proposed in every one of the 6 Options, which means the future of these three stroke units is perceived as definitely secure whatever happens.

These three stroke units may be recruiting on the strength of this, while other units and their staff are left out in the cold, despite actively participating in the Pre-Stroke Consultation in 2017, where they were assured that no decisions had been made.

Redress the unbalanced NI Stroke Consultation 2019 - additional Options needed to include the Excluded populations.

RESEARCH BIAS

The approach in the Questionnaire is considered bad practice in Research as the occurrence of the same 3 hospitals in all 6 Options shows bias and favouritism and employment unions may be alerted that this is a failure to follow due process in Employment Law.

This bias renders the whole Consultation invalid as the topic deals with the Change and Withdrawal of existing public services in hospitals, which are paid for using Public Money.

TIMING OF CONSULTATION

The timing of this Consultation is also called into question as it was timed at the same time as the recess for forthcoming Council Elections. This leaves populations without access to advice from full sitting Councils and Council reps on local Health Boards. Therefore the Consultation must be extended beyond the statutory 3 months consultation period to allow Newry, Mourne and Down Council Representatives and other Councils in other areas to make a response on behalf of their electorate.

NEWRY, MOURNE & DOWN COUNCIL – NEEDS A HYPER ACUTE STROKE UNIT & AN ACUTE STROKE UNIT IN DAISY HILL HOSPITAL, NEWRY

>Newry Mourne and Down Council – has the 3rd highest council population in NI of  179,000 people (of which 105,300 residents live in rural areas ). If any of the Six pre-selected Options in the Consultation are chosen – this entire local government district will be left with NO Hyperacute or acute stroke /Rehabilitation Units and no timely access to Thrombolysis.

This deliberate plan to remove without a trace the existing designated Daisy Hill Acute Hospital combined Specialist Acute + Rehabilitation Stroke Unit is deplorable, and a public health injustice which cannot be condoned. (Stroke services are assured in Derry City and Strabane Council with a population of 150,500 with only 49,900 people living in a rural area.)

OPPORTUNITY & HOPE

Despite all these issues – there is STILL an opportunity for our excluded populations to put the best case forward for their existing Stroke Units. The only positive aspect of the Reshaping Stroke Consultation 2019 is that we have been given the opportunity to answer Q.6 with additional options

PRESENTING A NEW OPTION TO INCLUDE ALL N.I.

The answer as shown in the graphic is suggested for public consideration. In the Consultation Questionnaire Q. 6 asks: “Are there additional options that we have not considered?”

Q6 SUGGESTED ANSWER : 5 Hyperacute Stroke Units (HASUs) and 5 Acute Stroke Units (ASUs) at 5 acute hospitals in NI at: (1)Royal Victoria, Belfast; (2) Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry; (3) South West, Enniskillen; (4) Altnagelvin, Derry and (5) Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.

This option is based on existing acute stroke units that already give specialist CT scanning and Thrombolysis. This option offers timely equality of access to these necessary specialist stroke services more evenly distributed across NI and to include the rural population – ignored in the consultation.

In this option Antrim, Craigavon (a satellite town of Belfast) and Ulster Hospital, Dundonald – are all within 30 minutes motorway journey of Belfast and can advantageously avail of both Thrombolysis + Thrombectomy in the Royal Victoria Regional Hospital (already confirmed as having a HASU and an ASU).

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital (DHH) Newry City is in a strategic location where patients from Banbridge (approx 15mins travel from Newry City) and South Armagh and Down can avail of timely access to specialist stroke services (scanning and Thrombolysis ) in Daisy Hill (DHH) Hyperacute Stroke Unit + Rehabilitation in DHH Acute Stroke unit.

CONCLUSION YOUR LAST CHANCE to air your views in support of Daisy Hill specialist stroke unit.

The most meaningful way we can put the best case forward for the existing Daisy Hill combined Specialist Acute Stroke/ Rehabilitation unit and its dedicated staff in the Reshaping Stroke Consultation is by taking our time to respond to the questionnaire (including answering Q6).

Don’t give any rushed answers – the closing date is not until June 2019, and you can only submit one response each.

It should also be noted that the Complete Online Form’ button, and online form is set up to force people to choose one of those six options – which all mean the end for the stroke units in Daisy Hill Hospital and in Causeway Hospital. 

WE CAN and have the right to CHALLENGE these decisions and the options given and put the best case forward for RETENTION and ENHANCEMENT of Daisy Hill existing acute stroke rehab unit and its specialist services to ensure its rightful place in the network of stroke services in NI for the LONG TERM FUTURE.

More posts relating to the Stroke Consultation coming here soon and on: https://en-gb.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/

The united community of Newry and Mourne and South Armagh will work together to ENHANCE stroke services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital

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

 

12.16.18
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2 NEW CT SCANNERS required NOW for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital ED

2 CT Scanners for Daisy Hill Hospital Newry city now

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

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

IMAGING REVIEW

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

REFRESH SOUTHERN TRUST IMAGING PLANS

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

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

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

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

>STATEMENT 1:

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

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

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

>STATEMENT 2:

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

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

>STATEMENT 3:

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

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

CALL FOR ACTION FROM SOUTHERN TRUST NOW

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

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

You can visit – follow and  like 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 sharing of excerpts & links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

 

10.13.18
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CAPITAL PRIORITIES FOR HOSPITAL CT and MRI SCANNERS IN DAISY HILL AND CRAIGAVON HOSPITALS OUTLINED

Hospital scanner

The urgent need for MRI and CT scanning equipment in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry for now and the future, was pointed out by many people in responses to the Draft Consultation called ‘Strategic Framework for Imaging Services in Health and Social Care’, (which closed in January 2018.)

The Department of Health NI has published the Final Framework and Summary of Responses documents on their website. (Links are available below)

WAITING LISTS GROW IN THE SOUTHERN TRUST

 

As demand for diagnostic MRI and CT scans in the Southern Trust area increases, this need for more imaging equipment becomes more urgent.

Of the 5 Health Trusts in Northern Ireland – the Southern Trust had the HIGHEST number of people (26,383) on the URGENT Waiting list in need of CT diagnostic scanning, out of 34,137 people waiting for CT scans in the Southern Trust. (for the period 31st July 2017 – 30th June 2018).

The Southern Trust also had the 2nd highest number of people in NI on the URGENT waiting list for diagnostic MRI scans during the same period (9,419 people).

Providing extra CT and MRI scanners in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry – in the largest locality in the Southern Trust would improve these waiting lists.

However there is NO CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROPOSED as a PRIORITY for the replacement of the eight year old CT Scanner, or new MRI and CT scanners in DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL (for 2014 to 2022).

Source: Imaging Review Equipment Management Document, see pg 31/32 table extract shown below *

 

Extracts from this document show plans for proposed CT/MRI Scanning Equipment Investment (2014 – 2022) and the level of priority the Trust assigns it.

New/Replacement equipment is NOT a TRUST PRIORITY for DAISY HILL Acute Hospital, Newry City.

Trust Priority         EQUIPMENT                 £ Est. Cost

NOT A PRIORITY;  MRI SCANNER Daisy Hill  £500k  for 2016/17

NOT A PRIORITY;  CT SCANNER Daisy Hill    £500k  for 2016/17

In the same period, the Trust assigns Priority 1, 2, 3 (2014 – 2022) for CT/MRI equipment for CRAIGAVON Hospital at a TOTAL COST of nearly £4.5 MILLION

Trust Priority         EQUIPMENT                £ Est. Cost

PRIORITY 1;          2ND NEW CT Scanner    £2 million       for 2015 /16
PRIORITY 2;          2ND MRI Scanner          £1.5 million    for 2014/15
PRIORITY 3;          UPGRADE CT Scanner    £495K            for  2015/16
PRIORITY 3;          UPGRADE CT Scanner    £500K            for 2021/22

Trust priority 1, 2, 3 (2014 – 2022) for CRAIGAVON > TOTAL COST nearly £4.5 MILLION

(Source: Imaging Review Equipment Management Document, see pg 31/32 table)

Investment in CT and MRI scanners essential for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City, in the largest locality in the southern Trust area.

£62.8 MILLION PROPOSED INVESTMENT FUNDING 2014/15 – 2022 FOR IMAGING EQUIPMENT IN NI

Under the ‘Proposed Major Equipment Investment Programme’ (see Annex D Equipment Management Document) – all five Health Trusts in NI have asked for a total of £62.8 million from the Department of Health for New and Replacement of major imaging equipment (from 2014/15 to 2022) under Royal College of Radiologists guidelines.

The Trust have asked for nearly £4.5 million of this proposed Investment as a Trust Priority for CT and MRI scanning equipment for Craigavon only between 2014 to 2022.

One proposed new CT scanner in Craigavon Hospital for 2015/16 (Trust Priority 1) was itemised to cost £2million, this is enough money to pay for one Necessary MRI scanner as well as 1 Vital CT scanner in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

Daisy Hill Hospital is not even down as a Trust Priority to get a REPLACEMENT CT scanner (to replace the CT scanner which was installed in 2010) even though the Royal College of Radiologist guidelines should be adhered to.

DEMOGRAPHICS (population)

Using the latest population estimates (June 2017), Newry & Mourne Locality has the largest Local population (105,161) of the five former Local Government Districts of Newry & Mourne, Banbridge, Dungannon, Armagh and Craigavon in the operational area of the Southern Trust.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry city should currently have at least TWO NEW diagnostic MRI and 2 NEW CT scanners, plus a NEW MOBILE SCANNER and NEW SCREENING ROOMS, as in Craigavon Local Government District (which always had a smaller Local Government District or Locality population.)

Do you agree? If so, please continue to speak up for Daisy Hill. Continued support from the Community, Politicians, Individuals, Trade Unions and businesses on this issue is URGENTLY NEEDED NOW.

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

BACKGROUND INFO & LINKS

Links to the Strategic Framework for Imaging Services in Health and Social Care Consultation documents referred to in this article are below:

*Link to Imaging Review Equipment Management doc –  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/consultations/health/Imaging%20Review%20%20Equipment%20Management%20pdf.pdf  (See pages 31 -32 for Southern Trust planned Investment including Daisy Hill Hospital)

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/IR-responses.pdf

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/strategic-framework-imaging-services-health-and-social-care

You can visit – follow and  like 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 sharing of excerpts & links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

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

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City

06.10.18
by

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL STAFF PRAISED BY FAMILY + HEARTBEAT NI FOR HELPING SAVE NEW BORN BABY’S LIFE

Daisy Hill Hospital medics have been praised for their pioneering use of a new-born baby heartbeat screening test which alerted them that a baby from Burren had a serious heart defect, which required urgent surgery in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin.

Daisy Hill is currently the only hospital in Northern Ireland to use the new born heart screening test known as Pulse Oximetry. The children’s heart charity, Heartbeat NI funded the life-saving screening equipment and Consultant paediatrician Dr Bassam Aljarad introduced the programme at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in 2015.

Irwyn McKibbin, Chairman of Heartbeat NI stated in an article in The Examiner (28/05/2018) “I would like to congratulate the staff at Daisy Hill for not only undertaking what was initially a pilot study, but for persisting with it once the trial period expired. I am delighted for Katie and Alan that Dáire is doing so well and that Heartbeat NI played a small part in this good news story.”

Baby Dáire from Burren with her parents, Katie Dinsmore and Alan Lawson, returned to Daisy Hill Hospital to meet with Staff Midwife Rachel Tinnelly and Dr Sally Anne Devine.

Katie, along with charity Heartbeat NI has called for the test to be mandatory at all hospitals, as Katie is quoted in the Newry Democrat (29/05/2018): “It saved Dáire so it should definitely be done everywhere. Even if it saves one life”

Congratulations to all the staff at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for this fantastic work, and wishing Baby Dáire and her parents Katie and Alan all the best for the future.
Daisy Hill for Life!

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

new-born-baby

New-born baby photo from Pixabay

01.21.18
by

PROPOSE FUTURE INVESTMENT FOR VITAL SCANNING EQUIPMENT FOR DAISY HILL HOSPITAL TODAY

MRI scanner for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital Newry in 2018Can you please help ensure that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital is included in the Department of Health’s Investment Plan for vital diagnostic equipment like MRI and CT scanners by sending in an EMAIL to the latest consultation, due in Mon 22 Jan by 5pm?

To save time, you can just send an email, with this suggested answer.

Please email your response to: Email: ImagingReviewConsultation@health-ni.gov.uk along with your NAME and ADDRESS:

Suggested answer below to copy and paste, (of course – you can alter as you wish, or write your own.) Please add your name and address, underneath Yours Sincerely at the end of your letter. Thank you!

SUGGESTED ANSWER

‘Dear Imaging Review Consultation Secondary Care Directorate

Thank you for the opportunity to give my views on a Strategic Framework for Imaging Services in Health and Social Care.

Investment in all vital Imaging Services and Equipment must be provided for in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

I propose that Capital Funding for CT scanners, MRI scanners, non obstetric scanners and other vital imaging equipment must be allocated to Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry to ensure that the objectives of ‘increasing capacity to meet future demand and to further improve quality and safety’ are met.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City is in the largest locality in the Southern Trust in Newry & Mourne, and also provides for the wider catchment population which also includes South Armagh and Banbridge. The allocation of funding for imaging equipment investment and replacement planned for the Southern Trust area must include Daisy Hill Acute Hospital.

As the consultation document states – “Timely and accurate imaging plays a vital role in ensuring patients are appropriately diagnosed, treated and monitored.” It is just as vital for Newry City’s Daisy Hill Acute Hospital to give timely access to imaging services for its catchment population –and needs commitment for capital investment now and in the future to achieve this.

The population of Newry & Mourne (29% of which are children) are entitled to safe timely access to medical imaging (scanning) services in Daisy Hill, one of the 10 acute hospitals in NI. This includes access to services such as MRI, CT, non-obstetric ultrasound and X-ray. It also includes, Cardiac Imaging, Paediatric imaging, Ultrasound scanning, and Obstetric scanning in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital.

Newry & Mourne locality – projected to be the 3rd highest population in NI by 2023 (after only Belfast and Lisburn- greater Belfast ) has paid for, needs, and is entitled to equality in provision and forward looking investment and funding for new, up to date major CT and MRI scanning equipment.

Thank you
Yours sincerely

Your Name and address

………………………………………………………

Consultant Doctor examining notes

BACKGROUND INFO AND LINKS

(1) Newry & Mourne has always had the highest population of the 5 localities in the Southern Trust since pre 2008.
(2) Newry & Mourne has always had the highest number of births in the Southern Trust.
(3) Newry & Mourne has always had the highest number of children (under 18) in the Southern Trust.

Thank you.

Full Consultation info and Documents available at:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/…/consultation-draft-strategic…

Equipment Management Doc -See pages 31 -32 for Southern Trust planned Investment including Daisy Hill Hospital) (This doc can be downloaded or you can type in required page number 31 in the top left hand corner while still in the browser):
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/…/Imaging%20Review%20%20Equipm…

The Deadline for responses is Monday 22nd January at 5pm.

 

 

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

09.24.17
by

Time for Health Chiefs to recognise the size and need of the Newry & Mourne locality

The Hospital/ healthcare needs of the Newry & Mourne population must finally be recognised by those who Provide and Commission Services and they need to provide the services IN THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED.

This should not be news, as it is obvious to most! But it is news – because those in charge of commissioning these services for Newry & Mourne seem blind to these basic facts.

Newry and Mourne has the highest population and greatest need so must have acute hospital services in Newry and Mourne

Newry & Mourne (one locality or LGD) is projected to have the 3rd highest population in NI by 2023 and has always been (since pre 2008) the largest locality in the Southern Trust, with the GREATEST POPULATION and GREATEST NEED.

Those commissioning health services NOW need to recognise the size of our existing (and growing population) and the lack of capital investment in provision of hospital buildings, acute specialist hospital services, provision of hospital beds and specialist medical staff in the Newry & Mourne area, in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, including in the Emergency Department.

Investment for Newry & Mourne must be as intensive as investment for Craigavon which has a smaller population.

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.

The PATHFINDER NEEDS ASSESSMENT GROUP must also accept this in the needs assessment which they have sent to the Department of Health.

ASSESSMENT OF NEED MUST BE BASED ON ACCURATE POPULATION STATISTICS

Assessment of need must be based on ACCURATE local government NISRA statistics which show Newry & Mourne with the HIGHEST POPULATION in the Southern Trust.

It should NOT be based on numbers of patients being ADMITTED to Daisy Hill Acute Hospital through the Emergency Department.

These figures do not reflect the need here, rather they reflect the lack of beds in the Emergency Department and medical emergency beds.

The Southern Trust have a duty of care to Emergency and Acute patients to provide enough specialist acute services, medical staff and hospital beds in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, as they do in Craigavon hospital.

Here are some facts about our area THAT CAN BE IGNORED NO LONGER. >

These facts and figures show the greatest need for provision of Acute specialist Hospital and Emergency Services and outpatients clinics is in Newry & Mourne and South Armagh. These services must be provided in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

NEWRY & MOURNE LOCALITY (LGD) KEY FACTS

(1) Newry & Mourne is projected to have the 3RD HIGHEST POPULATION IN NI by 2023.

(2) Newry & Mourne has ALWAYS had the highest population of the 5 localities in the Southern Trust since pre 2008.

(3) Newry & Mourne has ALWAYS had THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF BIRTHS in the Southern Trust.

(4) Newry & Mourne has ALWAYS had THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CHILDREN (under 18) in the Southern Trust.

(5) Newry & Mourne in 2016/17 had the highest number of deaths (of under 75s) in the Southern Trust.

THE LIST GOES ON…

DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL KEY FACTS

There were 259 emergency caesareans in Daisy Hill in 2016/17.

  • In the same year there were 2,420 children admitted through the Emergency Department as inpatients.
  • There were 11,256 inpatients of all ages admitted to Daisy Hill Hospital in 2016/17 through its Medical Emergency Department.
  • Over 52,000 people attended Daisy Hill Emergency Department last year.

CONCLUSION – TIME TO REDRESS THE BALANCE!

These key facts have NOT been accepted by those whose duty it is to commission and provide services, but NOW IS THE TIME TO REDRESS THE BALANCE – it is time for Newry & Mourne to have its correct share of funding.

Any need assessment must accurately represent Newry & Mourne as the largest population in the Southern Trust with greatest need.

The population of Newry Mourne Locality (which includes South Armagh) need acute specialist hospital services, medical staff and hospital beds NOW in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City.

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

Background Info:

ROLE OF HSCB:

The HSCB Health and Social Care Board through the Southern Local Commissioning Group have to ASSESS HEALTH AND HOSPITAL NEEDS of the FIVE localities or Local Government Districts (LGDs) of Newry & Mourne; Craigavon; Dungannon; Banbridge and Armagh under the 2009 Act.

Their job is to ASSESS NEED and TARGET RESOURCES to those local Government District areas (LGDs) WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED.

The HSCB must understand the health needs and size of our population and identify inequalities in health and access to services here.

Any needs assessment undertaken must identify and ACT ON health needs in the Newry & Mourne Locality (including South Armagh) and provide specialist acute hospital services ( including in the Emergency Department ) in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry City, to address these inequalities.

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

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 – 2023. We welcome sharing of excerpts & links, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com and Daisy Hill for Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank-you!

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