Former surgeon in call for GP support

Former surgeon in call for GP support

2 April 2014

A RETIRED surgeon has called for more doctors to show public support for the retention of A&E services at the Downe Hospital.

Over many years, Mr. John Robb supported the campaign for lifesaving services to be retained in Downpatrick and the push for the town’s new £65m hospital.

Now he wants medics to show support for the current campaign to have 24-hour emergency services returned to the Downe.

At the start of the year, the South Eastern Trust axed weekend and early evening A&E services, blaming the temporary move on a shortage of middle grade doctors.

Hospital campaigners and trade unions, supported by politicians and people from across the district, have launched a major campaign for the restoration of 24-hour A&E provision which has included two public meetings attended by hundreds of people.

The campaign to have lifesaving services available at the Downe Hospital when people need them is one Mr. Robb endorses. But he wants more doctors to show their public support for the retention of A&E provision in Downpatrick.

Previous campaigns to secure the future of the Downe Hospital were ultimately successful as local clinicians were part of the campaign. It was widely recognised that the public support of medical doctors was a vital and deciding factor in having the new hospital built.

To date, only a former consultant gynaecologist based at the Downe has voiced support for the campaign to have A&E services retained in Downpatrick. Mr. Robb wants more medics to get involved.

“The Down Recorder has, as far as I am aware, no easily recognisable record of doctors publicly supporting in its pages the retention of an appropriate A&E service at the Downe Hospital in this current campaign,” he continued.

Mr. Robb added: “One can hardly be blamed for wondering why this is so and why there is no radically-minded voice among GPs to lead a campaign of rejection to decisions being determined centrally by persons with no accountability to those affected by such centralising decisions.”

Castlewellan man, Francis Gallagher, a local supporter of the retention of A&E services at the Downe Hospital who has been liaising with Mr. Robb, has welcomed the retired surgeon’s support for the current campaign.