Campaigners seeking a meeting with Foster

Campaigners seeking a meeting with Foster

20 January 2016

HEALTH campaigners are seeking a meeting with new First Minister Arlene Foster to discuss the Downe Hospital and plan to invite her to visit the facility.

The decision to seek a meeting with Mrs Foster was agreed at the campaign group’s meeting on Monday night when a series of issues were discussed including the need to keep the hospital issue and health service provision at the top of the political agenda ahead of the Assembly elections in May. Emergency ambulance cover in the area was also discussed.

Reference was also made to the document published on Monday morning by the NHS Confederation calling on Stormont politicians to take “urgent action” to transform the health care system.

Community Health Committee chairman, Eamonn McGrady, said the authors of the 15-page document entitled One Voice, Time for change, “tell everybody what way they think things should unfold into the future.”

He explained the document wants health issues resolved within three months of an election, suggesting it will be particularly difficult for this to happen “as it has taken nearly 40 years to create the current mess through cuts and under resourcing.”

In a radio interview on Monday morning when the NHS Confederation document was being discussed, former Stormont Health Minister Edwin Poots said if he took a heart attack in Ardglass he would want to be taken to the cardiac centre of excellence at the Royal Victoria in Belfast.

Mr McGrady said he too would like to be taken to the Royal if had a heart attack, but argued if he was an 85 year-old man who had a minor heart condition developing he would like to be taken for treatment to the dedicated coronary care unit at the Downe.

“But we know this facility was closed last year not because of medical needs, but because of the need to save money. If we want to have an open and honest discussion about change in the health service I think it is incumbent on those who advocate that type of change to tell us what cuts they want, where they are going to fall and which hospitals are to be affected,” he declared.

Mr McGrady reported that the NHS in England and Wales recently published its health strategy, with one of its key priorities to address “rural inequality and sparsity.” He said it is unfortunate that within Section 75 equality legislation in Northern Ireland, there is not a category recognising the inequality suffered by rural citizens.

He continued: “Someone who takes a heart attack in Ballyward is every bit as important as someone who takes a heart attack in Ballybean and should have the same right of access to services. The NHS is free at the point of delivery, but it is not a privilege. It is a right.

“It is something we all have and something we all pay for. That gives us a stake in it and a vested interest in having it. When you take something like an emergency department out of an area, you take a big lump out of the community and this must not be allowed to happen here. We do not have a ‘permanent’ closure of our A&E nor our dedicated coronary care unit. The closures were only ‘temporary.’ 

“I know lots of people have the faith to believe that our 24-hour A&E department and dedicated coronary care unit will reopen and these important services restored because they were not taken away for clinical reasons. They were taken away because of resource issues which we want them redistributed our way.”

Committee member, Mr John Carson, said ahead of the May election, every political party should make clear on their literature that they support the Downe Hospital and the return of 24-hour A&E and dedicated coronary care services.

“This pledge must be endorsed by the leaders of the various parties. Parties which do not support this pledge should be excluded from a vote by the electorate. The election provides us with an opportunity to ensure the hospital issue is at the top of the agenda,” he said.

Mr Carson added: “Remember, we are not looking for something better than anywhere else. All we want is the same services as other people and to be treated as equals and not forgotten about.”