Ministers urged to restore A&E

Ministers urged to restore A&E

25 November 2020

HEALTH campaigners are demanding “political intervention at the highest level” to ensure the rapid restoration of full emergency services at the Downe Hospital.

The call to First Minister Arlene Foster, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Health Minister Robin Swann comes amid increasing fears that health administrators may not restore the key services which were suspended at the end of March as part of Covid-19 emergency planning.

The South Eastern Trust aborted a planned move to reopen the emergency department on October 19 in favour of a new consultant-led urgent care centre which requires people to contact staff ahead of their arrival.

Health officials insist that the new centre is the next stage in rebuilding services within urgent and emergency care at the Downe.

Calling for political intervention, the Down Community Health Committee said the 24-hour emergency service must be restored immediately.

Two of the group’s most senior members — Mr Eamonn McGrady and Mrs Anne Trainor — say that since the introduction of a “temporary“ reduction in emergency services some five years ago to a weekday day-time service, in tandem with continued underinvestment in ambulance provision, the needs of the local community have not been well met, particularly those in rural areas.

The campaigners insist that with positive news on a coronavirus vaccine, the time has come to rebuild services “as a matter of the utmost urgency”.

Mrs Trainor said the temporary decision by the local health trust to close the Downe’s emergency department in March, while maintaining this essential service at the Lagan Valley and Ulster hospitals, “has further heightened fears in the local community that the full emergency department service, our right, not a privilege, may not be restored”.

She declared: “It is apparent that intervention at the highest political level by the Minister for Health and the First and Deputy First Ministers is now essential, if the rights of our community to an equitable share of NHS services and resources are to be protected. 

“The South Eastern Trust has still not given a commitment of a firm date for the restoration of even our pre-Covid service at the Downe. This is simply not acceptable, from an NHS that can build Nightingale hospitals in a matter of a few weeks. It is all about priorities.”

Mr McGrady said there was “a much bigger picture” to be considered before any permanent reshaping of emergency care across Northern Ireland can be considered.

He said there was an urban-rural divide in terms of emergency department services and their distribution, with an undue concentration of a limited resource in the Belfast area inevitably having a detrimental impact on the rest of the population.

He said that according to Google, the average car journey times between the hospitals on a non-blue light basis varies considerably with 40 minutes from the Downe to the Ulster and 41 minutes from Downpatrick to Lisburn’s Lagan Valley.

“From the Ulster, it’s 21 minutes to the Royal Victoria and 31 minutes to Lagan Valley, while from the Lagan Valley to the Royal and Craigavon area hospitals it is 15 and 23 minutes respectively,” said Mr McGrady.

“Sadly, we all know that in our area we have a poor quality roads infrastructure and that the situation is much, much worse, for those who do not own a car and have to rely on the scant and inadequate public transport links from our area, even from its larger towns.”

Mr McGrady said the case for a restoration of a 24-hour emergency department in Downpatrick was even stronger now than ever before.

He continued: “We are fully aware that there was and is an emergency situation, a national emergency, over Covid. 

“Our community has more than played its part through the temporary loss of services at the Downe a hospital which, as always, has stepped up to the mark to play a massive role, punching well above its weight in responding to the Covid emergency.”

Mr McGrady said the time had now come to rebuild, with much positive news on the coronavirus vaccine battle.

He added: “The damage done to our local services must now be repaired as a matter of the utmost urgency. Justice and equality demand nothing less.”