‘Urgent action’ call on emergency care

‘Urgent action’ call on emergency care

29 October 2025

THE Downe Hospital must be allowed to play a significant role in providing emergency care, a local politician is insisting.

The appeal by South Down MLA Cathy Mason comes as patients continue to face lengthy waits in the back of ambulances parked outside the Ulster Hospital.

Three weeks ago, the Recorder revealed that a 93 year-old Downpatrick man waited six hours for an ambulance after sustaining a serious head injury in a fall at his home.

Mr Dermot MacNabb was taken to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald where the ambulance he was in had to park up outside in a long queue of emergency vehicles with patients on board waiting to be treated.

There were anecdotal reports that as many as 17 ambulances were queued up.

Mr MacNabb was eventually seen by emergency medical staff and had stitches ed in two head wounds, before he was placed back in the ambulance where his family say he remained overnight before being taken back into the hospital for a scan.

The Ambulance Service apologised for the delay with Mr MacNabb’s family calling for the return of emergency services to the Downpatrick hospital.

The MacNabb family believe the return emergency services to the Downe would help ease pressure on the Ulster and ensure patients who do not have life-threatening conditions can be treated locally.

Mr MacNabb’s son Vincent said increasing numbers of people being literally driven past the Downe to be taken to Dundonald and “wait for hours on end” to be seen by emergency staff.

It’s a view endorsed by Mrs Mason.

She said the people of South Down deserve “urgent action” to end ambulance handover delays.

Mrs Mason submitted a written question to Stormont health minister Mike Nesbitt, asking if a so-called scoping exercise had been undertaken in relation to emergency ambulance waits.

She said the response confirmed no serious scoping work has been carried out to help relieve pressure on emergency departments and speed up ambulance handovers with regard to the Downe Hospital. 

“That is deeply concerning,” she declared.

“The Minister instead outlined learning trips to London and future targets, whilst patients in South Down continue to wait for hours in the back of ambulances outside overcrowded hospitals. That is simply unacceptable.”

Mrs Mason said Sinn Féin has consistently advocated for rural communities and their access to healthcare. 

“The Downe Hospital is modern and well-equipped and it could play a much bigger role in tackling the immense pressures on our health service if it is properly resourced,” she insisted.

“As services are centralised at the Ulster, our rural communities face longer journeys and poorer access to urgent care, which makes no sense when the Downe is sitting underused.”

Mrs Mason said the public needs delivery, not delay. 

She said her party will continue to press for investment in local services like the Downe to ensure patients get timely care.

In addition, Mrs Mason said investment is required to ensure ambulance crews can get back on the road quickly after ferrying patients to hospital in order to respond to other emergencies.