Wells to meet with campaign group

Wells to meet with campaign group

18 March 2015

HEALTH Minister Jim Wells has agreed to meet local hospital campaigners.

No date has yet been set for the meeting with the Down Community Health Committee to discuss a series of service cuts at the Downe Hospital, including the closure of a dedicated coronary care ward and 24-hour accident and emergency provision.

Campaigners want the return of 24-hour A&E services and the reopening of the coronary ward which closed last December as part of a cost-cutting move. They are concerned both key services were not removed because of an assessment of medical need or medical advances, but because hospital administrators said they couldn’t get doctors to work in Downpatrick.

Campaigners, who took part in yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Downpatrick and brought 20,000 people on to the streets in the town on St. Valentine’s Day in support of the Downe Hospital, are keen to meet with Mr. Wells.

Anne Trainor, who helped organise the recent Love the Downe rally, said local people want to be given the same access to services as those living in Belfast. 

She said there is mounting concern across the community that services are being stripped from the Downe as the policy to centralise services in hospitals in the greater Belfast area continues at pace.

“The people of this district want our politicians to do more. The politicians are the people who have the power to take decisions and it is important from our campaign’s point of view that we meet with the Health Minister,” she continued.

“We passionately believe that withdrawing services from local hospitals is wrong as it only adds to the pressure on those already over-crowded hospitals in Belfast. Retaining services in hospitals like the Downe can help ease the pressure at the centre, but no one appears willing to make that decision.”

Mrs Trainor said she has no doubt that as a South Down MLA and someone who has been involved in the campaign to retain the Downe Hospital, Mr Wells will be “acutely aware” of all the key issues.

She added: “The people of this district have once again given the Down Community Health Committee a mandate to campaign on their behalf and that is what we will continue to do. Local hospitals have a vital role to play and it’s time the politicians recognised this fact and ensure decisions are taken to protect hospitals like the Downe.

“We will make the case to Mr Wells to reinstate the services which have been lost at the Downe and argue that providing additional services in Downpatrick can ease the pressure on hospitals in the greater Belfast area. Someone needs to make that decision.”