Westminster poll hopefuls make Downe pledge

Westminster poll hopefuls make Downe pledge

31 May 2017

THE candidates contesting the South Down Westminster seat pledged to place health firmly at the top of the agenda when they faced the public last week in a pre-election hustings event.

Over 80 people were at the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick for the event organised by the Down Community Health Committee which is campaigning for the return of 24-hour accident and emergency services at the Downe Hospital and the reopening of its dedicated coronary care ward.

Candidates Margaret Ritchie (SDLP), Chris Hazzard (Sinn Fein), Harold McKee (Ulster Unionist), Diane Forsythe (DUP) and Andrew McMurray (Alliance) fielded a series of questions from the floor on a variety of topics, with each backing calls for the return of key services and praising hospital staff for the excellent work they do.

Issues featured in questions from the floor included emergency ambulance cover, expanding service provision at the hospital, increased investment in mental health services, the impact of Brexit on the NHS, action plans to improve health services, increasing pressure on the South Eastern Trust to deliver enhanced services at the Downe and improving health and social care across South Down.

Miss Ritchie highlighted the need for a development plan to pave the way for the reinstatement of beds and services which have been lost and to secure a range of new services, with the local community, politicians and senior health officials all having a key input. She also highlighted the area’s reliance on the Downe for employment and its medical and health care needs.

“I hope a new range of services will include a CT scanner,” continued Miss Ritchie. “We all know the marvellous Downe has the capacity to provide a lot more services which can help address the hospitals’ waiting list issue. We need a regional summit similar to the one convened to address the A&E issue at Newry’s Daisy Hill hospital to source middle grade doctors and a range of services which deals with underpinning the future of the Downe.”

Mr Hazzard praised staff for dedicating much of their lives to healthcare and “who through no fault of their own are under constant attack by Tory governments.” He said the election is all about Brexit and Tory austerity with many aware of the “damaging effects” of Tory austerity on the healthcare system and attempts to privatise parts of it.

Mr Hazzard added: “When you consider the challenges that hospitals such as the Downe currently face attracting staff, this is going to be a hugely important issue we need to tackle. We also need to consider cross-border health services, a number of which we already have. All these services are now at risk. Services which have been hugely popular in cutting waiting lists and waiting times are now all at risk. We currently enjoy free healthcare through EU membership but this is also going to be at risk and place added costs on travel. These issues need to be at the forefront of our minds when it comes to this election.”

Mr McMurray said Alliance wants to see an NHS free at the point of use to everyone who needs it, vowing that his party will fight against what he described as the “continued sell off” of the NHS. He also conceded that in order to deliver a first class health service, changes are needed.

“Alliance can meet the increased financial pressure on health by tackling the cost of division in building separate and segregated schools and housing and opportunity costs of investors choosing not to come here due to ongoing instability. 

Mr McMurray added: “Alliance is not in the business of making unsustainable or non-transparent promises to the electorate. If we want to make healthcare services work better we need to make tough decisions and show leadership. Perhaps the greatest efficiency of all is greater investment in public health, this means educating people about health through public awareness and the dangers of obesity and the benefits of exercise.”

Mrs Forsythe said last week’s terror attack in Manchester placed a “fresh and raw emphasis” on life and death and the essential nature of health services. She described health care as a “critical issue” and wants the Stormont institutions restored to manage these services. 

“While the NHS is not perfect and faces many challenges in the way it delivers healthcare, its staff are the backbone of its delivery and provide an excellent service under immense pressure. The  fundamental problem facing our health service is the lack of clinical staff, more doctors and nurses need to be trained and they need to be retained longer and attracted to our areas,” she continued.

Mrs Forsythe added: “Daisy Hill and Downe hospitals are ‘unattractive’ to medical staff across the Province and we need to stand up for our local hospitals to attract the staff and retain them here. I live in Mourne, a very rural area, similar to the one the Downe covers and A&E services are essential. It is important we try and bring back full 24/7 provision at the Downe hospital and fight to retain the service at Daisy Hill. We also need to improve ambulance cover and response times in rural areas.”

Mr McKee said the Downe Hospital is not being fully utilised, suggesting there is “much waste” in the health service,arguing people are being kept in hospital for longer than they should. He said mental health is another key issue which needs to be addressed.

“It costs the NHS £340 for every night someone is kept in a hospital. Everything in the health service boils down to money and I believe there is a lot of waste. We have difficulty keeping our nurses here and after they qualify they leave because of the pressure they are under. When we bring in nurses from outside Northern Ireland, the cost is £65 per hour with some put up in hotels,” he said.

Mr McKee added: “I believe this money could be spent much better and would also like to see more women encouraged to use the maternity service at the Downe Hospital. Ambulance cover in the area is also stretched and why allow ambulances to drive past this hospital taking patients to Belfast? We need to keep out people in our local hospitals.”