‘Newcastle people will die’ as Downe Hospital services under threat: it’s time to respond

Today should have been a day of jubilation for everyone in the local community, as Minister Michael McGimpsey came to Downpatrick to ‘open’ the wonderful Downe Hospital, which has now been operational for 12 months. Yet, outside, local politicians and protestors stood united in opposition to proposals from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust which would see a serious erosion of services provided in the new facility.

The health Trust calls it “reform and modernisation”. Local politicians define its as a “massive cut to services”. Campaigners say it as “salami slicing of local health services”.

On the day that the Downe Hospital is officially opened by Health Minister McGimpsey, newcastle rocks calls it a worrying downgrading of our local hospital and a kick in the teeth to those who have campaigned for years to have comprehensive, modern health care provision in the Down area.

The Mourne Observer sums up the plans as follows:

The South Eastern Trust intends to shut a 15-bed ward at the new hospital, downgrade the hospital’s accident and emergency unit and restructure its psychiatric services. Ward 3, a general medical ward, lost the first of its beds this week, while the Trust wants to allow GPs to staff the emergency department each night, due to a shortfall in A & E consultants.

The local paper goes on to report the fears voiced by Tom Smith, a former director of nursing at the original Downe Hospital, that the reliance on a GP out-of-hours service to staff the emergency unit between 10pm and 8am could lead to deaths in places like Newcastle:

If the out-of-hours doctor on duty is called to somewhere like Strangford and there is an emergency in Newcastle, then we will have to call the Ulster Hospital for help. People are going to die – plain and simple. The Trust has not properly thought this through.

Yesterday, as Down News reports, Down District Council met in a special session and voted unanimously to reject the Trust proposals. The full motion read:

This Council deplores the actions of the South Eastern Trust with their decision to reduce the number of medical beds and other services to the Downe Hospital, Downpatrick, and we call on the Trust to urgently review their decisions.

The Trust has now launched a public consultation which will run until late August. We urge people in the Newcastle area and throughout Down to respond.

The key consultation documents can be found on the Trust website, while the Trust’s summary of the proposals can be found in their press release. The initial response from the Down Community Health Committee can be found here.

Among the ways of getting your views across will be via a series of public meetings being organised by the Trust. None of them will be held in Newcastle area, with the closest being in Downpatrick and others in Lisburn, Newtownards and Bangor. The Downpatrick meeting will be held next Wednesday 23rd June, from 7.00pm to 8.30pm, in the Great Hall at Downshire Hospital.

However, your formal response to the consultation should be made in writing by 27 August 2010.

Responses can be emailed to: consultation@setrust.hscni.net

Alternatively, write to:
Mr Hugh McCaughey
Chief Executive
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
c/o Programme Management Office
Ground Floor
Trust Headquarters
Ulster Hospital
Dundonald
BT16 1RH

All responses should be entitled ‘Consultation’ and include your name and address.

What do you think? Please leave a comment below.