Health Meeting Touches On Some Pressing Sore Points
The independent health group, Down Community Health Committee (DCHC) held a meeting in Denvir’s Hotel in Downpatrick last Thursday evening (26th October 2023) and discussed a number of health issues.
First on the agenda was the subject of eye screening for diabetics. Chairman Eamonn McGrady said that diabetics are provided with an annual eye screening test.
He added that following an FOI request, it was noted that there were 28 venues across NI where screening tests were done. 6 were in Belfast, 6 were in the Southern Trust area, 8 were in the Northern HSC Trust area, 6 in the Western area and 2 in the South Eastern HSC area.
The two in the South Eastern HSC Trust area were located at Clough Health Clinic and the other in Bangor.
Mr McGrady said:” People are travelling to Clough which is poor transport hub. This is complicated by clients having a solution sprayed into their eyes and they can’t drive for 4 hours after.
“It is surprising that this service is not being delivered at the Downe Hospital.”
DCHC vice chairperson Ann Trainor said: “We used to be a centre for excellence in opthamology. I would agree with Eamonn that we need to draw this to the Trust’s attention.
“My mother has to go to the Mater Hospital in Belfast for her eye screening.”
Former councillor John Trainor said: Our area has an ageing population and there is definitely a need there to have this service set up at the Downe Hospital instead. The question is, why was it removed originally from this area ?”
South Down MP Chris Hazzard said it was “absolutely bizarre that there were only 2 diabetic eye screening clinics in the South Eastern Trust area. There may be operational reasons for this.”
Eamonn McGrady invited all of the politicians present to make representation to the South Eastern HSC Trust.
Next up on the agenda was a discussion on what services were currently being delivered at the Downe Hoispital and at the Lagan Valley Hospital. In response, the Trust said: “At present, the Trust does not anticipate any significant changes to these services over the next two years.”
The FOI disclosure revealed that available at the Downe Hospital for the local community are:
- 2x patient wards, a dementia assessment unit,
- adult mental health inpatient ward,
- frail elderly rapid assessment centre,
- Outpatients – including surgery, medical specialities, and maternity,
- cardiac investigations,
- opthamology,
- podiatry,
- pharmacy,
- radiology,
- phone first urgent care (Mon-Fri),
- minor injuries (Sat and Sun),
- enhanced care at home service,
- rapid response nursing service,
- day case surgery,
- endoscopy procedures,
- community respiratory team,
- diabetic specialist nurses,
- sexual and reproductive health services,
- community dental services,
- children’s services,
- sensory services,
- 2x GP practices,
- ICATS,
- GP Out of Hours,
- continence service.
- The Downe Hospital also provides cataract elective care services on behalf of the region.
The total number of beds available in the Downe Hospital are:
- 44 adult beds,
- 20 in dementia assessment unit,
- 25 in acute mental health,
- 6 in psychiatric intensive care.
The third item on the agenda touched on prostrate cancer treatment. The DCHC chair explained that there are thousands of people missing out on having access to a new drug called Abiraterone.
This drug can slow cancer spreading to other parts of the body if applied early, but is only approved to men with advanced prostrate cancer. The cost of Abiraterone is about £250 a month.
Eamonn McGrady said : “5000 men could benefit from this treatment”… and he added “it is outrageous that many people just can’t afford it.”
A discussion followed and it was agreed that the political representatives present would encourage their parties to actively lobby at the Assembly when it it resumes that this drug be made more available to prostrate cancer sufferers. He added: “It will actually be a cost saving investment for the NHS.”
At the tail end of the meeting, Eamonn McGrady explained that the Blood Transfusion Service was in fact short of blood, and that the supply has been disrupted due to issues around Covid.
He encouraged local people to give blood at the St Patrick’s Grammar School between 5-7.30pm on Thursday 2nd November.
The subject of suicide was then discussed and Eamonn McGrady said that on World Mental Health Day he had been speaking to Ronan Gilchrist of ALPS (All People Are Precious).
He found out that there were 7290 suicide deaths and that this number may even be under-represented.
It was agreed to invite Ronan to a future meeting.
The discussion moved on again to ‘services’ and Ann Trainor explained that her mother in her 80s did not want to go to a Belfast Hospital to get treated and she wanted to go to the Downe Hospital.
“Eventually she had to settle for a place in the Lagan Valley Hospital.” said Ann, “but there are a lot of elderly people in the same boat who want treated in their own area.
“Ambulances are part of the problem and we need to be treated the same regarding our services as people in other areas.”
Patrick Brown MLA said: “It looks like we are dealing with the causes of poor service delivery”.
And Chris Hazzard MP added: “We are faced with massive health problems. Some people say the health system heirarchy is working so well but many people in the community would disagree.”
Lastly just before the meeting closed, Eamonn McGrady explained that it was important for those people responsible for defibrillators to ensure that they are fully functioning and serviced.
Check out British Heart Foundation for grants etc.
He cited a case recently saying that an organisation had tested their defribrillator and it needed to be fixed.
Two weeks later, the repaired machine saved someone’s life in an emergency.
The British Heart Foundation have launched a grant recently that may help with maintenance costs for defibrillators.
Eamonn McGrady recalled the late Dick Shannon, a DCHC member, who fundraised for a defibrillator, and then arranged for a cardiac nurse from the old Downe Hospital to provide training on its use for what was probably the first public community defibrillator in the Downpatrick area.
 held a meeting in Denvir's Hotel in Downpatrick last Thursday evening){kind=link}