Health trust criticised over hospital bus failure

Health trust criticised over hospital bus failure

16 January 2013

A HEALTH campaigner has strongly criticised the South Eastern Health Trust as the dispute continues over the lack of bus services to the Downe Hospital.

Dick Shannon, a long standing member of the Down Community Health Committee, has accused Trust officials of being “economical with the truth” on the availability of public transport to the new hospital and Downshire public sector campus.

Mr. Shannon said the Trust appears to be taking some credit for the presence of a limited Translink service to the hospital but he claimed the Trust had never planned for a public transport link to the hospital.

Translink Town Service buses call at the hospital six times a day as part of their runs to various parts of Downpatrick. Health campaigners are calling for a dedicated service from the bus station to the hospital and Downshire estate, running every 30 minutes.

“The truth is that the Trust never planned for any bus services for this site, and the presence of the Town Service was achieved without Trust approval after pressure from councillor Cadogan Enright and broadcaster Wendy Austin on Translink following representations by ourselves,” said Mr. Shannon.

“The fact that the Trust have started to advertise this service is not something they can take any credit for and the service is wholly inadequate,” he added.

“The Trust has still not completed promised alterations to the site to allow access by the Ardglass bus route, and has made no effort to facilitate the Knocknashinna bus or to allow the Town bus up though the site to access the Housing Executive or new Down Council buildings.

“This leaves our local Hospital as the only one in the South Eastern area or the Belfast area without access to a decent bus service or access to a bus station,” he added.

Councillor Enright said it is astonishing that a cross-departmental group of highly-paid public servants met for six years to plan the creation of the public sector campus and so comprehensively ignored all submissions by Translink or individuals on the need for public transport.

“It is clear to myself and councillor Dermot Curran who have been monitoring this issue over the last two years that Down Council management have been less than proactive in resolving this issue with the Trust, despite the opportunities presented by the Trust.

“There is no reason for this situation to continue. The Trust, the Council, the Housing Executive and all the other public sector bodies on the Campus have the ability to ensure that the Downe has services comparable with Lagan Valley, the Ulster or Belfast,” he added.