Community wants A&E back, says health committee chairman

Community wants A&E back, says health committee chairman

31 May 2017

THE chairman of the Down Community Health Committee told the Westminster election candidates that the people of the district will “settle for nothing less” than the return of 24-hour A&E services at the Downe Hospital.

Mr Eamonn McGrady said it has been proven the resources to deliver such a service are in place given that medical staff were found recently to bolster under-threat emergency services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.

“The resources are there, they are just not in Downpatrick,” he declared. “Our A&E service closes at 8pm during week nights and is not available at weekends, despite the fact the level of attendances at A&E departments on Saturday and Sunday is 80 per cent more than it is normally between Monday and Friday.

“We do not need to rehearse the arguments, no one has ever said there is not a clinical need for 24 hour A&E in Downpatrick. We also want our dedicated coronary care unit back, a unit we only lost as a result of financial cuts that were being implemented.”

Mr McGrady said he wanted to hear politicians say it is time to invest and build on hospital services in the Downe area, explaining he wants the Downe extended until it has sufficient beds to cope with the needs of the people of the area and to provide support beyond. 

“I am all in favour of the specialisation of services, but there are lots of services which can be provided safely and locally. Do not let anyone tell you anything else. We have a great hospital in Downpatrick. Despite everything, we have a fabulous hospital with wonderful diagnostic resources and hopefully a new MRI scanner is going to make that service even better,” he continued.

“We have lots of clinics at Downe delivering excellent services, but so much more could be done.  We need a hospital which is delivering properly, delivering for the needs of the people. We have a hospital where all the staff play their part and we must not forget our paramedics. 

“We know what is happening in the area they work in and it is not their fault. We know they are great people and we know they do great work but do not feel appreciated. In addition, they are not not properly remunerated for what they do.”

Mr McGrady also spoke about the loss of statutory residential care provision in the district over recent years following the closure of St John’s House in Downpatrick and Grove House in Ballynahinch, with the only statutory home remaining Ardview House in Ardglass. 

He added: “Why can’t we have these services back, given so many places in private homes are funded through taxpayers money?”