Review head gets Downe briefing

Review head gets Downe briefing

25 May 2016

A WORLDWIDE expert on health reform has been told the Downe Hospital has a key role to play in health service delivery in Northern Ireland.

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie and Down Community Health Committee chairman Eamonn McGrady highlighted the need for the Downpatrick hospital to be given a higher profile during a conference call on Monday with Professor Rafael Bengoa who is director of the health department at the Deusto Business School in Spain.

Professor Bengoa has been appointed to chair an expert panel that will help shape the future of health care in Northern Ireland. The panel was suggested by Sir Liam Donaldson in 2015.

The professor is regarded as a worldwide expert on health reform and has advised the European Union and the Obama administration. 

Having previously worked for the World Health Organisation for more than 15 years, he said that over the past 40 years in Northern Ireland there had been a focus in health on “planning around structures instead of planning around patient needs and outcomes.”

He said the important thing for the panel is to be thinking in outcome terms and then see if there is any physical restructuring that is needed to fulfil those outcomes.

Miss Ritchie said the panel is due to deliver its report next month, explaining it was important that she and Mr McGrady had an opportunity to state the Downe Hospital’s case.

“Eamonn and I put forward the case for the restoration, retention and provision of a new range of services at the Downe and also outlined the central feature of the hospital in terms of the local need and in terms of medical and health service delivery,” the MP explained.

“We pointed out very strongly that the Downpatrick hospital was provided to address local accessibility to services delivered at the point of need; that there needs to be a better and more equitable distribution of resources in terms of services, monies and health and medical infrastructure.”

Miss Ritchie confirmed that during Monday’s conference call it was pointed out to Professor Bengoa the over provision and propensity on the part of the Department of Health and health service administration to centralise services in the Belfast hospitals.

“We pointed out that the Downe has the technological capacity and accommodation to provide for the medical and health care needs of people and in fact can deal with the over-burdened nature of the Belfast Hospitals,” the MP revealed. “People waiting assessment, evaluation and treatment could be seen much quicker in Downpatrick.”

Miss Ritchie added: “We also stressed the need to ensure that the clinical networking capacity which is supposed to exist should be made to work for the people of the people of Down and Mourne and will be forwarding a paper to Professor Bengoa summarising our points.”