Department Of Health Runs To Consult On Emergency Care

Virtual Consultation events on Urgent and Emergency Care

Virtual Consultation events on Urgent and Emergency Care

The Department of Health is inviting the public to participate in upcoming virtual consultation events on the future of Urgent and Emergency Care in Northern Ireland. 

The virtual events are being held in May and June to support the general public to engage with the consultation on the findings of the Review of Urgent and Emergency Care.

The ambition of the Review is to improve urgent and emergency care services, and improve the service user experience, by ensuring greater accessibility to services and by making it easier to access the most appropriate service as quickly as possible. Access should be in a location most suited to the service user, without necessarily having to attend an Emergency Department.

An opportunity to voice your concerns about the Downe Hospital A&E… which had its 24-hour, consultant-led service axed.

The changes outlined in the consultation report highlight the plans to protect access to emergency care, whilst providing alternative services/pathways for urgent but not life threatening conditions. These changes will have implications for the public and it is therefore important that people understand what is being outlined in the consultation. To assist with this, the Department of Health will be hosting a number of consultation events in May and June as follows:

  •          Monday 16 May 2022 – 10:30am – 12noon
  •          Thursday 19 May 2022 – 7pm – 8:30pm
  •          Wednesday 8 June 2022 – 2pm – 3:30pm

People are invited to register online for the above events.  A sign language interpreting service for both BSL and ISL will be available at the event on Wednesday 8 June 2022.

The consultation will close on 15 June 2022.

Further information on the consultation process is published on:

Department of Health website.