Outgoing Chairman of Down District Council, Councillor William Walker, recently led a cross-party deputation to meet with health officials from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.
The meeting was called following the recent Love the Downe rally attended by 15,000 people which drew attention to continuing concern over the service changes at the Downe Hospital.
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At the meeting between a Down District Council delegation and the South Eastern HSC Trust were Gerry McBride, Council Customer Services Officer, Cllr Terry Andrews, Cllr Walter Lyons, and Seamus McGoran, Trust Director of Hospital Services, with front row, Council Chairman Cllr Billy Walker and Roisin Coulter, Trust Director of Planning, Performance and Informatiics.[/caption]
The deputation sought clarification on the way services across the Trust area will be delivered and the role of the Downe in particular given the uncertainty generated by Transforming Your Care and the Donaldson Report into health services in Northern Ireland .
In particular, the deputation sought clarification on the impact of recently announced health cuts on local services.
They were told by the officials that the Trust was committed to the future of the Downe and was willing to explore opportunities for further services which might locate there. The members were also informed the number of persons treated at the Downe, either on an inpatient or outpatient capacity, had risen in recent years.
In addition certain outpatient services for the entire Trust area were provided from the Downe. The officials pointed out that it was inevitable, given the cuts to health budgets and the pressure for the health service to adopt best managerial and clinical practice, that the profile of services at the Downe and any other hospital would change over time.
Commenting on the meeting, Councillor Walker said: “I found the update from the Trust to be both helpful and honest. The Trust officials were left in no doubt about the strength of the Council’s feelings on these matters.
“Council wants to ensure there are accessible health services located in our local hospital. I acknowledge the health service locally is faced with a funding crisis which requires tough decisions by the Trusts. Change is coming. In our discussion today we reiterated the key concerns of local people about the need to maintain a viable Downe hospital despite these changes.
“Political representatives will continue to identify health as a priority. As we move into a new era for public services and local government in particular, I look forward to a positive dialogue with health bodies to ensure health provision which matches the needs of local citizens whether living in an urban or rural setting,” added Cllr Walker.
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