by Admin 4

REASONS WHY DAISY HILL IN NEWRY CITY IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL – EXPLAINED

Daisy Hill Newry entitled to be Area Hospital in Hospital network 2025

The Department of Health will soon announce the outcome of the Hospital Network Public Consultation to reveal if Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry has been renamed as an Area Hospital.

Four evidence based reasons for Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to be renamed as an Area Hospital are:

(1) Historical Basis

(2) Population size

(3) Large land area and

(4) Strategic location.

REASON 1: HISTORICAL BASIS -THE FACTS: DAISY HILL – A NHS HOSPITAL IN 1949 AND 1 OF 9 EQUAL ACUTE HOSPITALS DESIGNATED IN 2003

Daisy Hill in Newry was made an NHS Hospital in 1949, and was designated by Government as one of a REGIONAL Network of nine EQUAL status major Acute Hospitals in NI in 2003. These decisions were made then, because of the large Population and large land area size, after a DOH Regional Consultation, ‘Developing Better Services’.

In 2003 it was a Ministerial Decision by Minister Des Browne to designate Daisy Hill in Newry as one of the 9 Acute Hospitals of Equal standing. All of these nine hospitals are vital to ensure timely access to CONULTANT LED 24/7 Emergency Surgical and Emergency Medical AND MATERNITY Services WITHIN ONE HOUR, to the entire population of NI no matter where they choose to live. * (Ref 1)

REASON 2: POPULATION SIZE –FACT : NEWRY & MOURNE – THIRD HIGHEST POPULATION in NI

Using official NISRA 2026 Estimated population figures, NEWRY & MOURNE (FORMER LGD) IS RANKED THIRD HIGHEST POPULATION OF THE 26 FORMER COUNCILS IN NI.

Ranking out of 26 councils /Name of Council/ 2026 est. Population size

1st out of 26: Belfast LGD -290,808 people
2nd out of 26: Lisburn LGD – 136,843 people
3rd out of 26: Newry & Mourne LGD – 111,508 people
4th out of 26: Derry LGD – 110,577 people

This 3rd place ranking for Newry & Mourne shows its very high population across the NI Region of 26 councils.

NEWRY & MOURNE IN THE TOP FOUR in NI FOR OVER 5O YEARS

NISRA Statistics also show that SINCE 1971 NEWRY & MOURNE LGD HAS RANKED IN THE TOP 4 HIGHEST POPULATIONS IN NI FOR OVER 50 YEARS WITH BELFAST, LISBURN (GREATER BELFAST) AND DERRY. So Newry & Mourne is growing still further and is entitled to have an Area Hospital.

Important Note: NI Health Care Trusts are still officially organised under the 26 council model.**(Ref 2)

REASON 3: LAND MASS AREA – FACT: NEWRY & MOURNE – THIRD LARGEST IN NI

NEWRY & MOURNE (Former LGD) IS RANKED THIRD LARGEST OF THE LAND MASS areas of the 26 former councils in NI.

Using official NISRA Land Measurements, Fermanagh has the largest land measurement with 1699.3sq km. Omagh is second (1129.9sq km) and Newry & Mourne is third largest land measurement with 898.3 sq km ***(Ref3)

REASON 4: LOCATION– FACT: NEWRY’S STRATEGIC LOCATION

Newry city is the main Gateway to NI, strategically located on the Belfast-Dublin Trans European Network, Road, Rail, and Sea economic corridor where hundreds of thousands travel through yearly.
Newry is also the Gateway to the three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty which comprise the designated Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark which also attract many thousands of visitors travelling through the Newry area annually. Newry has excellent road and rail links, and is connected to the major Port of Warrenpoint. Daisy Hill ACUTE Hospital is located at this major population settlement in Newry.

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.

CONCLUSION – SOLUTIONS TO HOSPITAL NETWORK REFORM

Acute Hospital status, Population, Land mass and location are the 4 main factors to determine the entitlement for an Area Hospital for Daisy Hill, Hospital, Newry in the proposed regional network.

Daisy Hill Hospital is entitled to have a full range of specialist acute services and inpatient beds, along with 24/7 consultant led Accident & Emergency, with emergency surgery and consultant led maternity services just the same as the other named Area Hospitals, in the proposed new Network of Hospitals.****(Ref 4)

To ensure equality of timely access to Consultant Led 24/7 365 Regional inpatient acute Services like Accident and Emergency surgical and Medical services like Heart and Stroke, and consultant led maternity services all Area Hospitals should be selected based on where the people (population) actually live.

The choice of location of Area Hospitals should not be made on the size of the hospital but should take into account the size of the population at each of the former Local Government Districts. The figures should be standardised population sizes and the land mass area to be covered by the fire and rescue service and ambulance service at each former local government district level, not just at a Regional level.

Doing this will show that Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry city is entitled to be an Area Hospital. The facts speak for themselves.

REFERENCES / BACKGROUND

*Ref 1 Developing Better Services (The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety) Minister of State Desmond Browne, 2003.

** Ref 2 THE ORGANISATION OF NI HEALTH CARE IS STILL UNDER THE 26 COUNCIL MODEL

Operational areas in Health trusts still remain under the 26 council model. The former 26 Councils or Local Government Districts (LGDS) or localities are still named in legislation and remain as the Operational area of NI Health Trusts (Establishment Order 2006) and Commissioning Groups.

***Ref 3 Statistics on Population and Land Mass are from Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

****Ref 4 Department of Health Consultation ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes’

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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05.24.25

by Admin 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND

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

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

NEWRY

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

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

ENNISKILLEN

Western Trust Corporate Risk Update at 30 May 2024

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

Next Consultation:

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

Background ends

Please share if you can. Thank you.

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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.

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

04.06.25

by Admin 4

Another Budget, Another Boost for Craigavon, but what about Daisy Hill? Your Help Needed in April 2025 -DoH Draft Budget Consultation

YOUR HELP NEEDED: ANOTHER BUDGET, ANOTHER BOOST FOR CRAIGAVON – BUT WHAT ABOUT DAISY HILL?

Today’s another day to do something good for Daisy Hill. Thanks to everyone who took part in the Hospital Network consultation. This time it’s all about the MONEY! £££. The next stage of the plan is to please help Daisy Hill again, through the Department of Health Draft BUDGET 2025-6 Consultation.

By taking part you can make a difference and help stop the cull of more acute hospital services from Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry.

As this Budget is all about CAPITAL spending, by taking part people will also be helping keep with one of the SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Committee’s main strategic objectives (mentioned in the lead up to their 2024 AGM) which is ‘(2) To lobby in the long term for more capital spend on Daisy Hill so it has the architectural build of a 21^st century acute hospital.’

We need to ask the Department directly for funding for Stage 1 Redevelopment of Daisy Hill as an acute Area Hospital as well as funding for specialist INPATIENT acute services (especially Emergency, including Surgery and Stroke etc) and more inpatient beds and specialist Clinical staff for Daisy Hill in Newry.

The Southern Trust won’t ask for capital investment for Daisy Hill – but we all can ask the Department and the Minister directly through the Budget Consultation for Daisy Hill’s share. It only takes 5 minutes and some suggested answers are here for you with this post. (See below)

The closing date is very soon as replies have to be in by NEXT Wednesday 09 April. Sorry for the short notice – as we only heard about this recently.

HOW AND WHY?

From Day 1 when they took over in 2007, the Southern Trust put the need to redevelop Craigavon Hospital first, in front of Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. Their Business Plans from 2007 onwards show this. (See Refs). This is despite the fact they were both hospitals of equal Acute status. Now it’s 2025, another Budget and despite ££££millions already spent on Craigavon, they want to spend MORE.

For those who think this is because Craigavon has a bigger population – it doesn’t – Newry & Mourne locality has ALWAYS had the highest population of the 5 localities (lgds) in the Southern Trust.

So, when will it be Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s turn for some proper funding for redevelopment?

Time for Investment for Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry

THE BUDGET PROPOSALS – CAPITAL SPENDING

>>The DOH Draft Budget 2025-26 proposes funding for extra hospital beds capacity for Craigavon Hospital, as a ‘critical’ capital scheme, but the ‘critical’ Budget proposal for Newry is not for extra bed capacity or future redevelopment of Daisy Hill Hospital or funding for specialist acute services – but instead to build a new Community Treatment Centre (Health Centre) in Newry, (P15/17 Equality doc).

>>This new community treatment centre is to be built (costing approx £88.3million) with the purpose of stripping acute hospital services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital. In the trust’s own words:

“The Trust is continuing to progress plans for a Health and Care centre in Newry which will support the shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.”

(*Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018/19).

The Southern Trust is again completely focused on asking DOH for funding to enhance Craigavon Hospital but not for funding for beds or Consultant – led inpatient acute SERVICES in Daisy Hill acute Hospital in Newry, in another unfair allocation of resources. This is being done without a proper assessment of the needs of the 3^rd largest council in NI: Newry Mourne and Down population of c182,634 (NISRA Sept 2024).

BUT YOU CAN HELP! Health Minister Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA wants to know if we agree with this Dept of Health Draft Budget Consultation 2025-26 and replies will be taken into consideration. They say: ‘All responses will be considered as part of the Department of Health funding decisions.’

Please join in and write and ask for a fair share for Newry’s Daisy Hill. We will not get another chance to do this.

Since the Southern Trust decided not to include Daisy Hill Hospital in their rebuilding plans we must let the DOH know the budget injustices in the Southern Trust.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS AVAILABLE HERE

Suggested Answers to the three Questions asked in the DOH NI Consultation: Equality Impact and Rural Needs Impact Assessment of the 2025-26 Draft Budget are available with this post and (if you want) you can copy and paste the answers into your own email to Email: draftbudget25-26response@health-ni.gov.uk (By NEXT Wednesday 9th April 2025)

Please share to help spread the word to everyone you know. Thank you.

Suggested answers here and on the facebook page.

TO DOWNLOAD THE SHORTER ANSWERS

>For people with access to Microsoft word a Word document (Shorter suggested answers) to attach to your email is available to Download below.

Answers to DoH Draft Budget 2025-6. V2a Shorter Download

Or if you cant download the file – please see below:

Shorter Answers to the three Questions asked in the Consultation on the Department of Health Draft Budget 2025-26 Equality Impact Assessment.

Q4. a. Are there any adverse impacts in relation to any of the Section 75 equality groups that have not been identified in section 5 of the EQIA Consultation document? If so, what are they?

Yes there are harmful impacts that have not been identified. The ‘critical spend’ to build a new ‘Newry Community Treatment Centre’ will allow the removal of more ‘acute services’ which are being stripped and transferred from Newry’s Acute Hospital at Daisy Hill. As the Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018/19, p97 states: *“The Trust is continuing to progress plans for a Health and Care centre in Newry which will support the shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.”

All Equality groups in the large population of Newry & Mourne will be denied timely access to acute hospital inpatient services they need (previously provided in Daisy Hill Hospital). This will mean they will be further disadvantaged as they will unacceptably have to travel all the way to Craigavon to access vital hospital inpatient acute services (including in an emergency). This will cost them extra money, and make it more difficult for them to access a necessary public service, for which funding had been allocated for them.

b. Please state what action you think could be taken to reduce or eliminate any adverse impacts in allocation of the Department’s draft budget?

Action 1: Redirect the proposed funding for (1) ‘Newry Community Treatment Centre’ (c£88.3 million) and (2) ‘additional bed capacity at Craigavon’ and use it instead for extra inpatient acute beds in Daisy Hill Hospital and to provide the first stage of a new major specialist acute Area Hospital building in Newry City. This new hospital should be secured for the long term future in Newry as an Area Acute Hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED, ICU and permanent major diagnostic equipment including MRI, CT and non obstetric ultrasound scanning equipment, (essential for retention of specialist clinical staff).

C: Are there any other comments you would like to make in regard to this EQIA or the consultation process generally?

When Health Budgets are shared out they are supposed to be allocated fairly but these budget proposals are not based on the needs of all the population in the Southern Trust. Newry & District has the second highest number of Patients of the 17 GP Registers in NI (c161,308) (DOH 2023) after only Derry and the continued failure of the Southern Trust to provide TIMELY access to specialist hospital inpatient healthcare in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry can be ignored no longer.

Under the Rural Needs Act it is the duty of the Department to ensure that the social and economic needs of the Newry Mourne and Down area is looked after. The economic prosperity of rural areas depends on employment opportunities that having a fully functioning specialist Acute Hospital like Daisy Hill brings. Newry is the gateway to NI and there must be a major acute Area hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED to provide for road, farm, school, and work accidents etc this must be considered and can’t be ignored.

END OF SHORTER ANSWER SHEET (Answers V2a)

TO DOWNLOAD MORE DETAILED ANSWERS – SEE BELOW

Longer Answer Sheet to Download to your device (Response V1b)

>For people with access to Microsoft word, a Word document (Longer suggested answers) to attach to your email is available to Download below, by clicking on the Download button.

Response to DoH Draft Budget 2025-6. V1bDownload

If you can’t download the file – For Suggested Answers Pages- longer and shorter versions please see the links below for the answers in full on the Daisy Hill for Life website:

Daisy Hill for Life on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/?locale=en_GB

Links and Background

CONSULTATION LINK

Department of Health NI Consultation: Equality Impact and Rural Needs Impact Assessment of the 2025-26 Budget Outcome – all documents available from the Department of Health’s website and link below:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-budget-2025-26

The Equality Impact, Rural Assessment and Easy Read Consultation Docs are available below:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-equality-impact-assessment.pdf

See page 15 of the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the Budget Plans in Southern Trust. (The pdf page number is p17)

See page 51 of EQIA for the Consultation info and Questions. (The pdf page number is p53)

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-rural-needs-impact-assessment.pdf

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/doh-equality-impact-draft-budget-2025-26-easy-read.pdf

Background:

Population – NISRA :

Population info on Daisy Hill for Life website: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/

https://www.facebook.com/daisyhillforlife/?locale=en_GB

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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04.06.25

by Admin 4

Shorter Suggested Answers for DOH Draft Budget 2025-26 Equality Assessment (Version 2)

Completed Answers to the three Questions asked about the Department of Health Draft Budget 2025-26 Equality Impact Assessment. (shorter version)

Q4. a. Are there any adverse impacts in relation to any of the Section 75 equality groups that have not been identified in section 5 of the EQIA Consultation document? If so, what are they?

b. Please state what action you think could be taken to reduce or eliminate any adverse impacts in allocation of the Department’s draft budget?

C: Are there any other comments you would like to make in regard to this EQIA or the consultation process generally?

Shorter Suggested Answers Ends Here

Ways to Respond

All responses will be considered as part of the Department of Health funding decisions.

Comments on the Departments 2025-26 Draft Budget Equality Impact Assessment can be submitted by email.

Email: draftbudget25-26response@health-ni.gov.uk

Compose a New Message (or use pen icon)

Put Email Address: draftbudget25-26response@health-ni.gov.uk into the ‘To‘ field of the Email (Recipient) write an Email in the normal way – you can type your comments and copy and paste any of these suggested answers as you wish.

Give your name and ask for a reply.

Click Send

Links and Background

CONSULTATION LINK

Department of Health NI Consultation: Equality Impact and Rural Needs Impact Assessment of the 2025-26 Budget Outcome – all documents available from the link below:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-budget-2025-26

Quick Access to Consultation Docs –

Draft Budget 2025-26 – Equality Impact AssessmentAdobe PDF (1 MB) https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-equality-impact-assessment.pdf

Draft Budget 2025-26 – Rural Needs Impact AssessmentAdobe PDF https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-rural-needs-impact-assessment.pdf (617 KB)

Draft Budget 2025-26 Easy Read https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/doh-equality-impact-draft-budget-2025-26-easy-r ead.pdf

Short Suggested Answers (Version 2 ) to download

Answers to DoH Draft Budget 2025-6. V2a ShorterDownload

Background

Population information – NISRA:

More population info from Daisy Hill for life: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/

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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04.06.25

by Admin 4

Suggested Response for DoH Draft Budget 2025-2026 Equality Impact Assessment (Version 1)

>For people with access to Microsoft word, a Word document (Longer suggested answer to answer the three Questions asked) to attach to your email is available to Download below.

Response to DoH Draft Budget 2025-6. V1bDownload

If you can’t download the file – please see below for the Answers to the three questions asked (Q4a – c, page 51 of EQIA doc:

Response to the Department of Health Draft Budget 2025-26 Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA). (Longer version, V1b)

4. As part of the consultation process, we invite stakeholders to consider the information included within this EQIA and provide feedback through the following consultation questions.

Q4. a. Are there any adverse impacts in relation to any of the Section 75 equality groups that have not been identified in section 5 of the EQIA Consultation document? If so, what are they?

Yes, all nine equality groups in Newry & Mourne Local Government District, the highest LGD population in the Southern Trust area, (with the largest population of children), will be harmed by the Southern Trust budget proposal to spend c£88.3 million to build a new ‘Newry Community Treatment Centre’ in Newry for ‘acute services’ which are being stripped and transferred from Newry’s Acute Hospital at Daisy Hill.

The Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018/19, p97 has already stated regarding the purpose of this Treatment centre: “The Trust is continuing to progress plans for a Health and Care centre in Newry which will support the shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.”

Serious harmful impacts will arise from this – It is not equal treatment for this budget to allow the removal of acute services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry, while the budget proposal for Craigavon Hospital is to expand ‘extra bed capacity’, all decided without a Population Needs Assessment. NISRA Population statistics show that there has always been a higher population in Newry & Mourne Locality/lgd than in Craigavon Locality/lgd.

The large population of Newry & Mourne will be denied access to acute hospital inpatient services they need (previously provided in Daisy Hill Hospital) meaning they will be further disadvantaged as they will unacceptably have to travel all the way to Craigavon to access hospital inpatient acute services (including in an emergency). This will cost them extra money, and make it more difficult for them to access a necessary public service, for which funding had been allocated for them.

It will also take jobs away from Newry and must be examined in terms of human rights and good relations.

Please look at the Census 2021 data on religious background and political background by local government district ward.

Q4b. Please state what action you think could be taken to reduce or eliminate any adverse impacts in allocation of the Department’s draft budget?

The DOH have a duty of care to ensure Daisy Hill Acute Hospital gets the funding for services, redevelopment and clinical staff it is entitled to and must be included in Southern Trust requested budget allocations. The DOH must ensure funding is spread evenly and fairly across both Acute Hospitals in the Southern Trust: Daisy Hill, Newry and Craigavon Hospital.

To reduce harmful impacts please do the following:

Action 1: As Newry & Mourne LGD has always had the highest Locality/LGD population in the Southern Trust, Redirect proposed funding for (1) ‘Newry Community Treatment Centre’ (c£88.3 million) and (2) ‘additional bed capacity at Craigavon’ and use it instead for extra inpatient acute beds in Daisy Hill Hospital and to provide the first stage of a new major specialist acute Area Hospital building in Newry City. This new hospital should be secured for the long term future in Newry as an Acute Area Hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED, ICU and permanent major diagnostic equipment, (essential for retention of specialist clinical staff).

Action 2: Carry out an accurate assessment of the needs of the population to make sure there is equality of TIMELY access to acute inpatient hospital services provided in the Southern Trust area. The population of 161,308 people on Doctors Registers in Newry & District (DoH 2023) need guarantees there will be proper long term investment in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry.

Action 3: The Southern Trust should urgently bring back Daisy Hill Hospital 10 bedded High Dependency Unit (HDU) in Newry which was taken away to Craigavon Hospital during the beginning of the pandemic. (Daisy Hill Hospital HDU was identified as essential by Daisy Hill Pathfinder Report in 2017).

Action 4: Use the Funding to restore Emergency Surgery and Acute Stroke beds to Daisy Hill Acute Hospital (DHH), Newry. The Nuffield Trust: March 2023 stated clearly that Hyper Acute Stroke Unit Beds were urgently needed in DHH, but Southern Trust still need to ask the DOH for funding for these beds in their business plans.

Q4c. Are there any other comments you would like to make in regard to this EQIA or the consultation process generally?

Re Rural Needs Assessment: Under the Rural Needs Act it is the duty of the Department to ensure that the social and economic needs of the Newry Mourne and Down area is looked after. The economic prosperity of rural areas depends on employment opportunities that having a fully functioning specialist Acute Hospital like Daisy Hill brings. Newry is the gateway to NI and there must be a major Area acute hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED to provide for road, farm, school, and work accidents etc this must be considered and can’t be ignored.

Re Rural Impact: pg 8 EQIA states page: ‘Trusts may have to consider implementing measures with high and catastrophic impact on a range of services which will undoubtedly have direct patient consequences.’ But in the Southern Trust it is only the mainly rural population of Newry Mourne and Down that will be disadvantaged.

Response to DOH Draft Budget 2025-26 Ends here.

Ways to Respond

All responses will be considered as part of the Department of Health funding decisions.

Comments on the Departments 2025-26 Draft Budget Equality Impact Assessment can be submitted by email.

Email: draftbudget25-26response@health-ni.gov.uk

By Email Message

Compose a New Message (or use pen icon)

Put Email Address: draftbudget25-26response@health-ni.gov.uk into the ‘To‘ field of the Email (Recipient)

Write an Email in the normal way – you can type your comments and copy and paste any of these suggested answers as you wish.

Give your name and ask for a reply. Click Send

Links and Background

CONSULTATION LINK

Department of Health NI Consultation: Equality Impact and Rural Needs Impact Assessment of the 2025-26 Budget Outcome – all documents available from the link below:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-budget-2025-26

Quick Access to Consultation Docs –

Draft Budget 2025-26 – Equality Impact Assessment Adobe PDF (1 MB) https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-equality-impact-assessment.pdf

Draft Budget 2025-26 – Rural Needs Impact AssessmentAdobe PDF (617 KB) https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-01/doh-consultation-draft-budget-25-26-rural-needs-impact-assessment.pdf

Background:

Population info : NISRA

Population info from Daisy Hill for Life: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/

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.

01.26.25

by Admin 2

Daisy Hill, Newry is entitled to be in the ‘Area Hospital’ Category in the DOH Hospital Network Public Consultation 2024/25

YOU DID IT BEFORE – YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN –PEOPLE POWER NEEDED FOR DAISY HILL HOSPITAL , NEWRY.

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

In 2019, you did it – over 19, 500 people sent back Consultation Reponses disagreeing with Department of Health plans to cut the existing number of Stroke Units in NI and centralise stroke services to as few as sites as possible.

People power here worked after thousands filled in the Questionnaire with 95% rejecting the options, with concerns about longer travel times in an emergency. Following this consultation – the Health Minister Robin Swann MLA said stronger evidence was needed – so change can happen if we write in large numbers to these consultations.

In 2024/5 there is a new plan as the Department of Health now proposes to go way beyond centralising Stroke services and proposes changes to the whole Regional Hospital Network. This plan puts Hospitals in NI into four categories: Local, General, Area Hospitals and Specialist Regional Centres.

In the Department of Health Consultation document ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’, the majority of Specialist Inpatient Services for example Stroke, Emergency Surgery etc are proposed to be centralised to 5 newly chosen Area Hospitals (at Antrim, Altnagelvin, Craigavon, Ulster and Belfast Group Hospitals) and Specialist Regional Centres (at Altnagelvin, Ulster Hospital and Belfast Hospitals) (*Ref1)

In these proposals Daisy Hill Hospital (Newry); South West (Enniskillen) and Causeway (Coleraine) are to be known as ‘General Hospitals’. (Very different from the new proposed ‘Area Hospitals’)

The Government now wants to consult with the public who are paying for the service, to see if they agree with these new proposals.

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

As mentioned before, only 5 places have been selected to be upgraded to be higher level ‘Area Hospitals’ – they are: Craigavon, Antrim, Altnagelvin, Ulster and Belfast Group Hospitals. “These Area Hospitals will maintain a 24/7 emergency department, a 24/7 emergency surgery and anaesthetic rota and theatre, and be supported by a critical care unit.” (Consultation Doc p35/37pdf) Annex D also states Area Hospitals will be expected to have 31 specialty services with inpatient beds. (Page 106/8)

What about the General Hospitals?

Information on the limited services expected to be available from ‘General hospitals’ can be read in the Consultation document ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’ from the Department of Health’s website. (See pages 23, 34-36, and 113)

In the document’s very important Actions page (p113, See Action 4) –it is rather concerning that the words ‘Short to Medium Term’*(Ref 2) are used when referring to maintaining core services in the ‘General Hospital’ category. And it is the Hospital Trusts who will be in charge of this.

Are core services not going to be maintained for the Long Term in the General Hospitals then? No other Hospital Category is dealt with in this way in the Actions Page.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry has been incorrectly put in the ‘General Hospital’ category in this new report which also falsely describes the Newry area as a small ‘isolated’ geographical location and community (*(Ref 3) See pages 6,23, 34).

The Department of Health report fails to recognise the consistently large population size, recorded illness statistics needs and large land mass area in the Newry & District area.

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry must be given the long overdue investment and specialist inpatient services it and the rate-paying and tax paying population here deserves.

Your help is needed to answer the Consultation through the Questionnaire and let the Dept of Health know that they have put Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry into the wrong category –due to the population size, need and land mass here.

We must challenge these unfair proposals. In Health and Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together (p19) First Minister and former Health Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA stated “Our HSC system belongs to all of us and we all bring valuable insights in to how it can improve. We must work in partnership – patients, services users, families’ staff and politicians – in doing so we co-produce lasting change which benefits us all.” *(Ref 4)

DAISY HILL HOSPITAL IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL & NEEDS YOUR HELP – PLEASE DISAGREE WITH THE CONSULTATION PROPOSALS

We have a right to continue to challenge, at every opportunity, these vital healthcare decisions. Please take part in the Consultation and Strongly disagree with the proposals, stating in the Questionnaire that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry is entitled to be and should be categorised as an ‘Area Hospital’ along with the other Area Hospitals.

Please ask everyone in your house to take part take part in this public Consultation too and please ask your friends, family and community and Elected Representatives- councillors, MLAs and MPs to do the same.

IMPORTANT – See this Link below to Daisy Hill Hospital for life website for all links to Department of Health Consultation, Questionnaire and Suggested Answers (to read and/or use if you agree) with instructions and Source References.

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/05/dept-of-health-hospital-network-consultation-2024-2025-a-suggested-response/

Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry Saves Lives - People Power 2023

5 EVIDENCE BASED REASONS WHY DAISY HILL HOSPITAL IN NEWRY IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL

>Reason 1 – Population fact 1: Out of 17 GP Federations in NI, Newry & District GP Federation has the Second highest number of patients (161,308) registered after only Derry GP Federation since 2017. (Source: DOH 2023/24).

Newry & District includes 36,018 children and young people aged U18, the 2^nd highest of the 17 GP Federations after only Derry (Source: DOH 2023/24).

>Reason 2 – Population fact 2: Newry & Mourne Local Government District (One of 26 Former Councils) RANKED IN THE TOP FOUR HIGHEST POPULATION CENTRES In NI after only Belfast, Derry and Lisburn. (From 1971 to 2014)

>Reason 3> Population fact 3: Newry & Mourne LGD has ALWAYS HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION of the 5 LGDS in the operational area of Southern Trust. (Source NISRA). The 5 LGDS are Newry & Mourne, Craigavon, Armagh, Dungannon and Banbridge.

>Reason 4 – Landmass fact : Newry & Mourne local government district area alone has the 3RD LARGEST LANDMASS in NI (898.3 Sq Km: Source NISRA).

>Reason 5: NEWRY CITY’S STRATEGIC LOCATION. Newry City could not be in a more pivotal position. NEWRY CITY is a Gateway and Main Hub in the Spatial Framework for NI to 2035. Newry is midway on the route from Belfast to Dublin on the TENS Key Transport Corridor.

It is also on the North Sea- Mediterranean Corridor: Cork> Dublin > NEWRY > BELFAST > Larne. The Eastern Seaboard Corridor is the Strategic Route linking Larne to the Border at Newry via Belfast facilitating onward travel to Dublin and the Port of Rosslare. Newry is a Gateway City to the Ring of Gullion and the Mournes (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Gateway to the new Ring of Gullion Mourne and Sperrins UNESCO Heritage site.

Newry is so busy they are prepared to spend over £94 million on the Southern Traffic Relief Road but not on a Major hospital for potential road accidents, residents and visitors. Warrenpoint, close to Newry is the 2nd largest Port in NI.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry is entitled to be an Area Hospital due to the consistently high population size, need and land mass area in Newry & District. in the Department of Health's new public Consultation ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes’ Daisy Hill Acute Hospital has been wrongly put into the wrong Hospital category of general Hospital. Public help is needed to answer through the Questionnaire and let the Department know this and make Daisy Hill an Area Hospital, like the other Area Hospitals.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/ REFERENCES

*Ref. 1. Hospitals – Creating a Network for better outcomes. Department of Health, (October 2024). Main Consultation document, Hospital Categories (Pages – pdf pg no. p23-25)

*Ref. 2. Action 4 states that “Consideration to be given to how in the short to medium term HSC Trusts can work in collaboration to maintain these core General Hospital services.” Creating a Network for better outcomes. Department of Health, October 2024. Main Consultation document, (pdf pg no p113)

*Ref. 3 Description of General Hospitals in ‘Creating a Network for better outcomes’. (Department of Health, October 2024,) the word ‘isolated’ is used 3 times describing the ‘location’ and ‘community’ of the 3 named proposed ‘General hospitals’: Causeway Hospital, Daisy Hill Hospital and South West Hospital (Pages 6, 23, 34).

P6/23 : “General Hospitals, delivering defined secondary care services including unscheduled care, geared to a specific, more ISOLATED geographical location…”

P34/ “What and Where: General Hospitals” – …… These hospitals have a key role in ensuring our system can respond to the challenges of an aging population, delivering a range of acute and rehabilitation services, with the advantage that they are closer to an otherwise more ISOLATED community.”]

*Ref. 4. Health and Wellbeing 2026 – Delivering Together – Department of Health, (October 2016.) (p19)

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

Northern Ireland Ambulances Saves Lives - Daisy Hill Hospital Saves Lives

For Suggested Answers to the Questionnaire and more info on this current consultation please see : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/05/dept-of-health-hospital-network-consultation-2024-2025-a-suggested-response/

Want to know how else you can help? – please see: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/how-you-can-help/

Nuffield Trust Report recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

Nuffield Trust Report 2023 Recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

The independent think tank Nuffield Trust were commissioned by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to report on ‘how care might be improved at the Daisy Hill (DH) site.’ and review services. This Nuffield Trust Report* dated 31 March 2023 sent to Dr Maria O’Kane, Chief Executive of the Southern Trust provides key findings and suggestions for building a sustainable model of care at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. One of the main recommendations in the Nuffield Trust Report was that there should be:

‘Bolstering of the DH site through provision of some hyper-specialist services (e.g., stroke), as well as regular outpatient clinics in each specialty on site.’ (Page 4)

As well as this recommendation emphasising the need for Specialist services like Hyper Acute Stroke in Daisy Hill Hospital, the Nuffield Trust Report emphasises the importance of Critical Care Services in Daisy Hill (e.g. the High Dependency Unit) and for Outpatient Clinics in each specialty on the DHH site.

The Nuffield Trust also discusses staffing considerations across the Southern Trust’s TWO acute Hospitals, at Daisy Hill, Newry and at Craigavon. (*A link to the full report is available in References/Links below.)

CONCLUSION

BOLSTERING OF HYPER-SPECIALIST SERVICES IN DAISY HILL, NEWRY IS NEEDED TO SAVE LIVES

In their Report of March 2023 following their review, the Nuffield Trust came to the conclusion that there was need for more Hyperacute services in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry stating Daisy Hill Hospital should be bolstered with Hyper-Specialist services e.g. stroke. (See p4)

Looking at the illness prevalence on the list of patients in the 17 GP Federations across NI it can be seen why bolstering of Hyper-Specialist services in Daisy Hill Acute hospital, Newry is necessary to save lives. An official Needs assessment will also back this up, as Dept of Health illness stats by area detailed below show.

ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

According to GP Registers in 2023 Newry & District GP Federation had the HIGHEST number in NI of patients on their register for Heart Failure (2,060 patients);also THIRD HIGHEST of the 17 GP Federation Registers for Hypertension (21,465 patients); Cancer (4,582 patients); Coronary Heart Disease (5,259 patients); Asthma (9,613 patients); Chronic Kidney disease (6,434 patients) and Atrial Fibrillation (3,258 patients).

Newry & District Federation also had fourth highest number of patients in NI with Stroke (2,680 patients) after GP Federations in Derry (3,991 patients) East Antrim (3,282), South West (2,749). (Source: DOH 2023)

THE NUFFIELD TRUST SAYS – URGENT NEED FOR SOUTHERN TRUST EXECUTIVE TEAM TO COMMIT TO THE DAISY HILL SITE

The Nuffield Trust Report also advised the Southern Trust that Public commitment to Daisy Hill Hospital from the Southern Trust Executive Team was urgently needed, writing:

1.Public commitment to the DH Site – There is an urgent need for the Executive Team to commit to the DH site and to a long-term plan for the two sites to be developed.’
(Page 4)

As recommended by the impartial Nuffield Trust Report, the Southern Trust Executive Team needs to make a firm commitment to Daisy Hill Acute Hospital and develop a long term plan for its future development.

Back in 2005 Labour Secretary of State to NI Peter Hain MP said that Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry should have full investment and development, and as the people here will testify, it is long, long overdue.

REFERENCES AND LINKS

*The full Nuffield Trust Report 31st March 2023 can be read in the preview below or downloaded by clicking on the Download button underneath :

Nuffield-Trust-review-of-Northern-Ireland-provision-of-hospital-care (1) – Copy Download

(This report is also available from the Southern Trust website.)

Who are the Nuffield Trust?

“The Nuffield Trust is an independent health think tank. We aim to improve the quality of health care in the UK by providing evidence-based research and policy analysis and informing and generating debate.” https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/about/what-we-do

POPULATION INFORMATION

Newry & District’s very large population size is proven by official data, as in 2023 Newry & District has the 2nd highest number of patients on GP registers in NI (with 160,615) after only Derry, including the 2nd highest number of children in NI under 18, with (36,228 ): (Source DOH 2023).

Newry Mourne and Down is the 3rd largest Council in NI with a population of 182,634.This includes 45,193 children under 18 and 31,473 over the age of 65 (NISRA 2022).

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

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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07.26.23

by Admin 4

HEALTH BUDGET 2023-24: EQUALITY CHECK – Your Right to Reply & Ask for Funding for New Specialist Acute Hospital in Newry City

In the Dept of Health NI Budget 2023-24 document - Business Plans should have been submitted for the major construction of a New Specialist Acute Hospital development in Newry city– instead of a Community Treatment Centre.

The Department of Health Budget 2023-24 proposes extra bed capacity & equipment for Craigavon Hospital, as a critical capital scheme, but in complete contrast the Budget proposal for Newry city is to start the construction of a Newry Community Treatment and Care Centre, rather than extra bed capacity or equipment at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.

So why is this Community Treatment and Care Centre for Newry expressed as a Dept. Of Health critical capital priority scheme when Daisy Hill Hospital is not?

The Department of Health cannot commit one penny of funding towards Health and Social care in Newry & Mourne or at Daisy Hill Hospital unless the Southern Trust asks for it by putting it into their Business Plans and submitting to the Department of Health.

As the Southern Trust have NOT asked or proposed any proper funding for Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry in this Budget – We the people need to speak up and ask instead through this Public Consultation.

Based on accurate population plans –as Newry & Mourne LGD has always had the Highest population in the Southern Trust, Business Plans should have been submitted for the major construction of a New Specialist Acute Hospital development in Newry city– instead of a Community Treatment Centre. This is the feedback the Department of Health need to hear.

The Department of Health have asked for Public Feedback on their 2023/24 Budget proposals Equality Impact Assessment Document (Ref 1) We must use this opportunity to get straight to the decision makers, as to how our public money is being spent and its impact on our future health and economic survival.

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

BUDGET PROPOSALS 2023/4 – HOW IT AFFECTS YOU: THE PROPOSED NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT AND CARE CENTRE – EXPLAINED IN THE TRUST’S OWN WORDS

“The Trust is continuing to progress plans for a Health and Care centre in Newry which will support the shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.”
Quote above from the Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018/19 on the new Newry Community Treatment Centre. p97

The Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018-19 (Ref 2) is available to download from the References and Links section at the end of this article.

NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTRE TO BE PRIVATELY FINANCED AND CONTRACTED OUT FOR 25 YEARS

The Community Treatment and Care centre for Newry proposal first appeared as a plan in the ‘Transforming Your Care’ Health Reform in 2013. This Newry Community Treatment Centre would NOT be financed using public capital funds like those in Portadown or Banbridge, but would instead be funded by the private sector.

The Southern Trust described this finance deal as a: ‘novel/untested type of procurement known as Third Party Development (3PD)’

“The Trust would enter into a contract for the design, build, finance and maintenance of a community treatment and care centre for a term of 25 years.“

As verified from another source, the Strategic Investment Board (Ref 4 in Links list) states :

“Two pathfinder hub schemes (Newry and Lisburn) were identified in 2013 to test the Third Party Development (3PD) approach.”

ORIGINAL PLAN FOR A NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTRE BASED ON MISREPRESENTED POPULATION SIZES

The Southern Trust plan for a new Community Treatment and Care Centre in Newry first appeared c.2013 when it was encouraged by the Health Minister in charge of the ‘Transforming Your Care’ Health Reform. (TYC)

This TYC Health Reform was informed by the Southern Locality Population Plan and Tables which misrepresented the population sizes of the 5 Localities (LGDs) in the Southern Trust area.

In these ‘population plans’ the Newry & Mourne LGD was incorrectly represented as the smallest locality in the Southern Trust, instead of correctly showing it as the Locality (LGD) with the highest population in the Southern Trust and the smaller population of Craigavon LGD population size was enhanced by adding it to Banbridge LGD population. (for details on this – See Ref 3 link at very end of article below).

This population size misrepresentation / error has had implications on funding decisions ever since.

Based on accurate population plans –as Newry & Mourne LGD has always had the highest Locality/LGD population in the Southern Trust, business plans should have been submitted for the major construction of a New Specialist Acute Hospital development in Newry – instead of just proposals to build a privately funded Newry Community Treatment Centre.

Daisy Hill acute Hospital in Newry city has no nearby alternative Hospital and has no alternative support Hospital, unlike Craigavon which has 2 non acute support Hospitals, (Lurgan 2 miles away and South Tyrone).

The population of Craigavon are 20 minutes motorway journey from Belfast and from several major acute hospitals in Belfast city and in nearby Ulster Hospital. Newry city needs its designated acute hospital as well as a Community Treatment Centre just like Craigavon in Portadown.

EQUALITY CHECKS FOR THESE BUDGET PROPOSALS – THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE

You can use your democratic right to express your opinions on how the money is spent by taking part in this consultation on the Budget Equality Document.

If you want to give your views on how the Department of Health here proposes to spend your hard earned Public Money on Health Services and where these future services exist, contributing to health, the economy and job prospects both medical and construction and all associated jobs linked to a hospital – this is your chance.

Time for Investment for Newry & District 2023

This Department of Health Budget EQIA 2023-24 which proposes extra bed capacity & equipment for Craigavon Hospital, should also have had equivalent funding for a new Specialist Acute Hospital building for Newry city, for its large population to keep in line with Equality and Rural Needs Legislation. This important Budget Consultation is open until Monday 14th August 2023.

Short Suggested Answers to this Consultation (along with reasons) will be presented on Daisy for Life on facebook and on this website very very soon at https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/posts/

Liking and Sharing these posts can help support the campaign. Thank you.

REFERENCES AND LINKS

CONSULTATION LINK

Ref 1: Link to the Department of Health NI Consultation: Equality Impact Assessment of the 2023-24 Budget Outcome:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/equality-impact-assessment-2023-24-budget-outcome

Click to access doh-budget-eqia-cons.pdf

Ref 2: The Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018-19, See p97 Click on the Download button below:

item-09-03-southern-trust-tdp-2018-19-copy-1 Download

POPULATION INFO LINK

Ref 3 : For important info on Misrepresented population LGD sizes in the Southern Trust area at :

https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2023/07/01/playing-with-numbers-playing-with-peoples-lives/

NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTRE TO BE 3PD (THIRD PARTY /PRIVATELY DEVELOPED) LINK

Ref 4: The Strategic Investment Board’s website describes the plan that the Newry Community Treatment Centre would be funded as a third party development: “Two pathfinder hub schemes (Newry and Lisburn) were identified in 2013 to test the Third Party Development (3PD) approach” Read the full article from this link: Strategic Investment Board NI -project -3pd-primary-and-community-care-programme/

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 Hospital for Life

Campaign to enhance Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry for future generations

Tag Archives: Newry & District

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

BACKGROUND

Nuffield Trust Report recommended Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry should be bolstered with some Hyper-Specialist Services (e.g. Stroke)

ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

REFERENCES AND LINKS

CONCLUSION – SOLUTIONS TO HOSPITAL NETWORK REFORM

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BACKGROUND

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Links and Background

Background:

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Links and Background

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

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ILLNESS PREVALANCE STATS SHOW THE NEED IN NEWRY & DISTRICT

REFERENCES AND LINKS

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BUDGET PROPOSALS 2023/4 – HOW IT AFFECTS YOU: THE PROPOSED NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT AND CARE CENTRE – EXPLAINED IN THE TRUST’S OWN WORDS

NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTRE TO BE PRIVATELY FINANCED AND CONTRACTED OUT FOR 25 YEARS

ORIGINAL PLAN FOR A NEWRY COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTRE BASED ON MISREPRESENTED POPULATION SIZES

EQUALITY CHECKS FOR THESE BUDGET PROPOSALS – THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE

REFERENCES AND LINKS

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