Hopes high for hospital campaign

Hopes high for hospital campaign

22 March 2017

HEALTH campaigners believe that for the first time in many years they are being listened to by those in authority and hope talks to restart the Stormont Executive will be successful.

The Down Community Health Committee said while it recognises there are a number of key issues to be dealt with during the ongoing talks to restore the political institutions, they have warned health cannot be put on the back burner.

Monday night’s meeting of the campaign group was the first to be held since a public meeting in the town in January organised by the Department of Health to discuss major changes in Northern Ireland’s health service.

Committee chairman, Eamonn McGrady, said the event at Downpatrick Cricket Club “did not have the same feel of consultations of the past when they we were not optimistic about outcomes.”

He continued: “We did feel at this particular meeting that we were being listened to but since the January meeting other political events have intervened and we no longer have a minister for health and a collapsed Stormont. The scenarios facing us are that a deal can be agreed between the parties, there will be another election or we could face a period of direct rule.

“Whatever awaits, the health issue cannot be on the back burner any longer, I realise there are lots of issues at Stormont including the renewable Heat Incentive, Irish Language Act and issues around respect and equality and while they are all important, there is nothing more important than having a health service which meets the needs of the people.”

Mr McGrady said it is clear the continuing pressure the health service is under, explaining that keeping an eye on the Stormont talks, campaigners will need to be ready to react to whatever unfolds, including seeking a meeting with any newly appointed health minister.

“We do not know what direction to go in terms of who we engage with next, but certainly when somebody finally takes responsibility for health we will be keen to meet with them. In the event that another election is called, we are keen to organise an election health hustings event in the town as we have done one before,” he continued.

During a wide ranging discussion during Monday night’s meeting, Mr McGrady said he did not believe the Downe Hospital will close as people will prevent this from happening.

“Health service bureaucrats and administrators did not want to build the new Downe hospital in the first place, but it was the people’s hospital; the people fought for it and while the politicians came together on the issue, they weren’t nearly as good as the people.

“If anyone comes to try and take services out of Downpatrick they will know how the community feels. I believe the massive public rally we organised two years ago was a game changer. It was the biggest rally ever held in Northern Ireland in support of an NHS facility and I think it shook a lot of people. We are are fully behind our hospital and woe betide any politician that thinks that they can ignore the will of the people in this area,” said Mr McGrady.

The senior health campaigner said local people have the same right to access services as the people in Belfast have, insisting he is not pessimistic about the future of the Downpatrick hospital. 

“The Downe provides great services and has excellent diagnostic provision,” said Mr McGrady. “We called recently for an MRI scanner to be provided and I do believe that the South Eastern Trust will favourably respond to this request. There is space to install a scanner and the staff expertise to use it. The provision of a new scanner would make such a difference and allow other services to be brought to Downpatrick.”

Pressure on hospital beds was also discussed at Monday night’s meeting with campaigners insisting they are not surprised at the current situation given that one sixth of acute beds have been removed from Northern Ireland hospitals over the past five years.

Mr McGrady added: “Given the number of beds that have been closed you are going to have problems, pressures and strains and would the solution not be to reinvest and reopen some of these beds? We have a local hospital were demand is phenomenal and a short stay unit that has never been opened with the covers still on the beds. It should not take long to recruit the staff to reactivate a facility like that to help ease the pressure and it is something we would like to see happening.”