Meeting to resolve ‘critical situation of staffing’ at Daisy Hill Hospital

South Down MLA for the area Sinead Bradley said, “I am on record as expressing concerns that this particular issue of securing staff may become lost in the wider dialogue of setting up a consultative forum for the region.
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“I and my party colleagues are determined not to allow this to happen and are monitoring very closely recruitment efforts.”
The SDLP delegation placed on record concerns that the 15-month agreement to safeguard services at Daisy Hill appeared very short given the challenge faced.
Bradley added, “Having expressed our view we did make a recommendation that the Chief Executive should provisionally seek an assurance that the safeguards could be extended to allow any new forum a chance to form and begin the significant body of work envisaged.”
MLA for Newry & Armagh Justin McNulty expressed his concern that the timeline for securing a long-term permanent solution is closing fast. “It is encouraging to see different groupings within the community stepping up to play a part in reaching the shared ambition of maintaining 24/7 Emergency Department cover in Daisy Hill.
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“In particular, I believe Newry Chamber of Commerce is bringing some imaginative thinking to the process of recruitment. It is important that all our efforts are complementary to and coordinated with the work of the Trust. The people of Newry & Armagh and South Down deserve nothing less.”