Tag Archives: Southern Trust

10.06.25
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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’

For more from this website on this topic – See also : https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/01/26/daisy-hill-newry-is-entitled-to-be-in-the-area-hospital-category-in-the-doh-hospital-network-public-consultation-2024-25/

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life

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

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

08.12.25
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Regional Life-saving Critical Care Service (High Dependency Unit) Removed from Daisy Hill By Southern Trust Without Regional Public Consultation

The Southern Trust has now officially withdrawn the High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry and seriously ill patients needing Level 2 High Dependency Care are now sent to Craigavon Hospital instead.

Daisy Hill Hospital Newry - Every Floor Saves Lives - High Dependency Unit situated on Third Floor. (Lift 1 Picture)

WHAT IS HIGH DEPENDENCY CARE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

It was a Ministerial decision by Mr Edwin Poots MLA to open a new 10 bed High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry in 2012, because of the number of seriously ill patients (volumes) needing timely access to Critical Care that only a HDU or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can provide. (Ref 1).

Daisy Hill’s High Dependency Unit was situated on Level 3 as can be seen from the accompanying picture taken in 2014.

Speaking in 2014 about the Daisy Hill High Dependency Unit (HDU) Dr Shane Moan Consultant Respiratory Physician at DHH stated in Southern Trust promotional material,: “It’s a Ten bedded unit with 2 isolation rooms, It’s spacious, airy, it’s for the delivery of care to Level 2 patients, those are patients who are seriously and critically ill, who require close monitoring, high level of nursing and medical care.  Patients are able to receive high quality care and we will recognise deteriorations earlier, hopefully avert the need for patients to be transferred to the intensive care unit. Or if the patient does need to be transferred to the intensive care unit, we will be more advanced in plans for transfer at an earlier stage, so then it’s safer.”

>‘STRENGTHENING THE HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT (HDU) AT DAISY HILL HOSPITAL’ WAS A KEY OBJECTIVE FOR DEPT. OF HEALTH DHH PATHFINDER PROJECT

The Southern Trust decision to withdraw this Regional Service (High Dependency) goes against the Department of Health’s own 2021 Project Objective for Daisy Hill Hospital to have its HDU strengthened.

The Department of Health wrote: ‘OBJECTIVE: ‘TO IMPROVE UNSCHEDULED AND ACUTE MEDICAL SERVICES ON THE DAISY HILL HOSPITAL SITE BY STRENGTHENING THE HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT’.    

 Quote from the Department of Health, Health and Well Being 2026 -Delivering Together Progress Report 2021: Development of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder, p106) (Ref 2).

It is also stated in DOH Health and Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together Progress Report 2021 that under the Regional project ‘Development of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder’ the Department were prepared to invest nearly £6 million pounds to develop Daisy Hill Hospital services, especially it’s High Dependency Unit. (Ref 2).

A Clear future for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital - Newry city

DAISY HILL HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT NOW REMOVED BY SOUTHERN TRUST

In complete contrast to the DOH decision above, the Southern Trust website, the News page on 31 July 2025 shows that the Southern Trust has now removed the HDU from Daisy Hill. This change was based on recommendations from their own Southern Trust ‘DHH Expert Panel’ report. Page 1 of this Expert Panel report stated:

“1.The Provision Of A Unit With A Remit To Provide Level 2/High Dependency Care… on The Daisy Hill Hospital Site CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED ON THE BASIS OF HISTORIC OR CURRENT WORKLOAD” (Ref 3)

However looking at the evidence from Department of Health officially recorded high case volumes in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s High Dependency Unit from 2014 -2020, Both historic and modern Regional Critical Care statistics CONFIRM THAT DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL IN NEWRY HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INPATIENTS needing High Dependency Critical Care services in all of NI each year since April 2014 to end March 2020. (Ref 4)

These Regional Critical Care Stats show 18,709 patients over six years received life saving critical care in Daisy Hill HDU. That is an average of 3,118 seriously ill patients being cared for in Daisy Hill specialist Acute Hospital HDU Yearly. (Ref 4)

The Royal Victoria Hospital was second highest with a 14,775 total inpatients in HDU for the same six years (2014 to end March 2020), or a yearly average of 2,463 seriously ill patients needing High Dependency care.

More recent DoH figures for the year 2019/20 show that 3,642 critically ill patients in need of timely access to Critical Care Services were admitted to the High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry. (Ref 4)

That equates to an average of 70 EXTREMELY ILL PATIENTS A WEEK who needed HDU Critical Care services in Daisy Hill in 2019/20.

EVIDENCE > DAISY HILL HOSPITAL’S HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT HAD THE HIGHEST PATIENT VOLUMES OF ALL HDUs in NI FROM 2014 -2020

Evidence and statistics from Department of Health Regional Critical Care statistics (above) contradicts the ‘DHH Expert Panel’ report’s statement on page1: “1.the provision of a unit with a remit to provide level 2 /high dependency care… On the daisy hill hospital site cannot be justified on the basis of historic or current workload”

>According to Department of Health Regional Critical Care statistics Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry in fact had the HIGHEST NUMBER/volumes of patients’ in HDUs IN ALL of NI for 6 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

CONCLUSION – DAISY HILL HDU MUST BE RE-INSTATED

The Dept of Health is in control of Regional services based on the entire population, and Regional services have to be FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY provided across NI. The Southern Trust should not have withdrawn this vitally important life saving Regional service, High Dependency Unit from Newry’s Daisy Hill Acute Hospital without Regional public consultation.

All Trusts must follow the DoH objectives, statistics and do things properly, follow the chain of command and follow correct procedures when dealing with Regional public services and dealing with public money.

It is vitally important; that reasons given for removing Critical Care and other Regional Services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry must be informed by accurate volumes of inpatients taken from DOH Hospital Inpatient Statistics and Population Needs Assessment. All specialist and Regional services are planned, managed and delivered on a REGIONAL basis through the Department of Health so there must be Regional Public Consultation before any permanent changes are made to any Regional Service including HDU Critical Care services in Daisy Hill Hospital.

The Dept. of Health DHH Pathfinder Project invested time and money ‘to improve unscheduled and acute medical services on the DHH site by Strengthening the High Dependency Unit’ – so it is not in the Southern Trust remit to undo this good work.

In summary – justification for the need for a High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill could not be clearer. The reasons include the DOH officially recorded high case volumes in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s High Dependency Unit from 2014 -2020 and official backing from the Department of Health as shown in the Delivering Together Progress Report 2021.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital High Dependency Unit must be reinstated immediately.

Please share. 

REFERENCES

Ref 1: Link https://www.4ni.co.uk/northern-ireland-news/149485/new-unit-opens-at-daisy-hill-hospital

New Unit Opens At Daisy Hill Hospital 21/08/2012. ‘Health Minister Edwin Poots has officially opened a new High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital’.

Ref 2: Delivering Together Progress Report 2021: Development Of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder 2021’, (page 106) (Department of Health for NI):

Ref 3: ‘Daisy Hill Hospital (DHH) Expert Panel – Chair’s Final Report to the Chief Executive (Southern Trust) – 21 February 2024’:

Ref 4: Background Factual Information/Statistics: Source Department of Health (DoH) Last updated: April 2021.

Specialist Services Daisy Hill Hospital Critical Care High Dependency Unit Inpatient Activity Numbers:

April 2014- March 2015: 2,558 inpatients

April 2015- March 2016: 3,066 inpatients

April 2016 – March 2017: 3,046 inpatients

April 2017 – March 2018: 3,165 inpatients

April 2018-March 2019: 3,232 inpatients

April 2019- March 2020: 3,642 inpatients

Critical Care Unit capacity across Northern Ireland is defined in two ways: level two (high dependency [HDU]) and level three (intensive care [ICU]). 2020

Daisy Hill Hospital Newry - Every Floor Saves Lives - High Dependency Unit situated on Third Floor. (Lift 1 Picture)
High Dependency Unit (HDU) Daisy Hill Hospital Newry is situated on the Third Floor. (Lift 1 Picture, 2014).

Want to help? pls see the following link – https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/how-you-can-help/

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

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

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

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

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life

Consultant Doctor examining notes

07.27.25
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DAISY HILL HOSPITAL, NEWRY NEEDS TIMELY EMERGENCY SURGERY!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TIMELY Emergency Surgery saves lives!
REFERENCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NUMBER OF BEDS TRACKED FROM 2007-2023

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

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

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

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

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

CONCLUSION

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND

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


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


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


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

REFERENCES

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

Link to SHSCT Establishment Order 2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

06.28.25
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Quick Summary on how to take part in DoH Equality and Disability Consultation (Online Consultation closes 28.06.2025)

Department of Health Consultation-Equality and Disability Plans for 2025-30. Put down in writing the need for equality in Newry Mourne and Down.

UPDATED 28.06.2025.

LAST DAY! CLOSES TODAY! Sat 28th June 5pm. STILL TIME to Write For your Equality Rights & Help Daisy Hill Hospital:: Doh Draft Equality & Disability Public Consultation 2025

>The deadline is TODAY – so Please reply by closing date this Saturday 28th June 2025@5pm.

(Full Consultation Information is available from the Background / Links section at the end of the page.)

Click on the LINK below to go to the Webpage to make an Online Response to the Draft Equality & Disability Action Plans 2025-2030‘

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

Scroll to ‘Give your Views’  >  Online Consultation.

Note: As you work through the form, click Continue to go on to the next Question.

The Consultation Closes on Saturday 28th June at 5pm.

BACKGROUND / LINKS

The link below is the main Consultation link from the Department of Health website It gives all documents including main report, and all Appendices. Consultation Questionnaire Word document all available to download and read.
LINK ********DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ONLINE CONSULTATION LINK – CLICK BELOW

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

WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

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

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

2>By Online Questionnaire

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

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

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

Write to:
Equality and Human Rights Unit,
Castle Buildings,
Stormont,
Belfast,

Northern Ireland,
BT4 3SQ

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

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

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

WHY ANSWER THIS CONSULTATION?

Why? Newry, is the Gateway to NI on the TENS European Road, Rail, and Sea economic corridor where hundreds of thousands travel through (mainly by road) yearly. Yet, vital Regional Emergency Services including Emergency Surgery was withdrawn permanently from Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry (without Regional Public Consultation.)
Regional Emergency Surgery and Emergency medical inpatient beds needs to be provided, not removed from Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry to make sure there is timely access to Emergency Services for all patients, (locals and visitors alike) including for potential road, work, and farm accidents.
There is Geographical inequality here, as access to timely life saving emergency treatment is denied to many large populations. This must be changed.

We must put our objection down in writing as part of this consultation to the singling out of Daisy Hill Hospital for downgrading of Regional Inpatient Hospital services which will remove time critical equitable access to some vital Regional Emergency Services (and specialist acute inpatient services always provided in Daisy Hill Hospital) that the population of Newry Mourne and Down have vital need for and have paid for.

Thank you. Please Share if you think this will help someone else take part in this very important Consultation for the future of Daisy Hill Hospital and its dedicated staff. 

Further Reading

See also: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/06/25/new-write-for-your-rights-doh-equality-and-disability-action-plans-consultation-with-suggested-response-24-06-2025/

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


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

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

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life

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

06.25.25
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NEW! Write for your Rights! Dept. of Health Equality & Disability Action Plans Consultation (24.06.2025)

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

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

INEQUALITY – STILL HERE in JUNE 2025.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEWRY & MOURNE HAS A HIGHER POPULATION THAN CRAIGAVON

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

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

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

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

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

>WHY ANSWER THIS NEW CONSULTATION?

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

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

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

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

Please Help and Please Share. Thank you.

REFERENCES AND LINKS

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

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

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

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

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

Ways to respond are detailed below.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONSULTATION LINKS

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

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

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

WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION

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

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

2>By Online Questionnaire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

WHY DAISY HILL HOSPITAL IN NEWRY IS ENTITLED TO BE AN AREA HOSPITAL:

>Reason 1 – Population fact 1: Out of 17 GP Federations in NI, Newry & District GP Federation has the 2nd highest number of patients (161,308) registered after only Derry GP Federation since 2017 (Source: DOH 2023/24).

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

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

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

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

Further reading:

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

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

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

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

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

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

05.27.25
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DECLINE BY DESIGN: General Surgery Inpatient Beds Systematically Cut from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry from 2007 to 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NUMBER OF BEDS TRACKED FROM 2007-2023

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

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

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

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

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

CONCLUSION

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND

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


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


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


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

REFERENCES

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

Link to SHSCT Establishment Order 2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital for Life, Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry city.
05.24.25
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EMERGENCY SURGERY – THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS (N.IRELAND)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND

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

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

NEWRY

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

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

ENNISKILLEN

Western Trust Corporate Risk Update at 30 May 2024

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

Next Consultation:

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

Background ends

Please share if you can. Thank you.

Emergency Surgery

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

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

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

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

04.06.25
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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 21st 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 3rd 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 ShorterDownload

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:

Suggested Response (Longer version- version 1): https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/suggested-answers-for-doh-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-assessment-version-1/

Suggested Answers (Shorter version – Version 2: https://savedaiskyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/suggested-answers-for-doh-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-assessment-version-2-shorter/

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

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

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life

04.06.25
by

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?

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.

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-read.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.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

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

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

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life

04.06.25
by

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?

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.                        

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.

Daisy Hill Hospital for Life