Coronary Care At Downe Must Be Protected Says Hazzard.
South Down MLA Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) has written to South Eastern Health chiefs following fears that coronary care is under severe pressure at the Downe.
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South Down MLA Chris Hazzard has called for the Downe Hospital to be rebooted.[/caption]
Following the recent decision from the South Eastern Trust to merge and reduce coronary care within the Downe Hospital, local patients are now reliant on a smaller group of experienced coronary care nurses to provide the vital care needed.
The South Down MLA has asked for clarity following anecdotal evidence that on at least one occasion recently there was no experienced coronary care nurse on duty at the Downe.
Mr Hazzard said: “The South Eastern Trust need to confirm if this scenario did indeed occur, and outline the reasons as to why this was the case.
“It is crucial that Health management allay fears in the community that a situation such as this could be allowed to develop.
“I have also asked the Trust to outline if this was to happen in future, could nursing staff from the Ulster Hospital not be redeployed to the Downe to cover the shortfall.
“Surely in an era of workforce planning and organisation this could easily be arranged,” he asked.
Mr Hazzard’s office has also commissioned research recently into various aspects relating to the Downe hospital. He will be raising some of those issues with Health Minister JIm Wells.
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Downe Hospital under the spotlight: a graphic designed by Sinn Féin reflecting distances patients may have to travel for coronary care. The Lecale area marked in red is seen as a centre under health pressure.[/caption]
Hazzard Says Time To Reboot The Downe Hospital.
Sinn Fein MLA Chris Hazzard has asked for an urgent meeting with the Health Minister Jim Wells to highlight the spiralling problems within the local health service.
And the South Down MLA has expressed his anger that that patients across constituency are being centralised to Belfast only to sit for hours on trolleys in hospital corridors.
Mr Hazzard said: “The standard of care we expect from the health service is simply not a reality for people living in the South Down.
“It is high time we acknowledge that the implementation of Transforming Your Care (TYC) has been an unmitigated disaster – especially for rural communities such as South Down.
“For all its progressive thinking, TYC has merely provided cover for the bureaucrats and management within the system to decimate the Downe Hospital.
“Lifesaving services, vital staff members and of course local patients have all been rerouted to Belfast – where hospitals were already at breaking point.”
Mr Hazzard added: “I have now asked the Minister to act in the best interests of the people of Down – we need a fully functioning hospital in Downpatrick.
“Not only is a rebooted Downe good news for the local community, but it could undoubtedly help alleviate huge problems in the hospitals in Belfast.”
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