‘Focus must remain on permanent solution for Daisy Hill Hospital’ – McNulty
SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh Justin McNulty has reiterated his call for a permanent solution to the staffing issues in the Emergency Department at Daisy Hill Hospital.
McNulty was speaking after the Southern Trust confirmed the future of the Emergency Department’s 24/7 service is secure for at least fifteen months.
McNulty and South Down Assembly Member Sinead Bradley attended the recent meeting of the Southern Trust and speaking after it he said, “We are all too aware of the threats facing the 24/7 status of the Emergency Department at Daisy Hill and the huge campaign of support for the service from the community of Newry, South Armagh and South Down.
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“This campaign forced the Southern Trust to sit up and listen to the concerns of the local community. In recent weeks the Southern Trust have upped their game, they have engaged with their colleagues across the North and they have confirmed they are confident they can staff the Emergency Department on a 24/7 basis for the next fifteen months.
“This is good news, but to me it’s only a first step. We need a long term solution and a long term commitment,” he insisted.
“During today’s meeting I again asked the Chief Executive and the Trust Board to push ahead with a long-term sustainable plan which will secure the service in Daisy Hill. Our population is growing and it is an older population who rely more on acute services like Emergency Departments. This should and must be recognised.
“This needs to be a system wide commitment to Daisy Hill and not just the Emergency Department. Over the next fifteen months the Southern Trust will use the time to put firm plans in place for the future and this is something we will monitor very closely.
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“We will not accept a stop-gap approach nor do we want to be back here facing the same issues in the future. The focus must remain on a permanent long term solution for Daisy Hill,” the local MLA added.
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Posted by Newry Times News
on May 31 2017. Filed under Community, Politics.
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