Council backs motion to reject Southern Trust decision to remove Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital
SDLP Newry Councillor Michael Savage brought forward an emergency motion to the full monthly meeting of Newry Mourne and Down District Council last night (Monday 2nd October 2023).
The motion was seconded by Cllr Doire Finn and received the full support of the councillors at the meeting.
Cllr Savages motion said: “Council rebukes the Southern Health Trust for its decision to permanently remove Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital and for disregarding the overwhelming opposition contained within the Trust’s consultation in which 94% of 11,000 plus respondents opposed such a decision.
“Council reaffirms its opposition to the withdrawal of Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital in accordance with the expressed views of the people and agrees to write to Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health requesting that he intervenes to pause any decision on the permanent removal of Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital until the Trust’s plans for the future of the Hospital are presented and brought to public consultation.
“Council requests that the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health carries out a review of the consultation process that has led to the removal of Emergency General Surgery – a vital service from Daisy Hill – an acute hospital – without the consent of the public.
“Council praises and offers its full support to the frontline staff at Daisy Hill Hospital who have demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and resilience in safeguarding the welfare of local people and patients of the district in the most difficult circumstances which resulted from the mismanagement of the Daisy Hill site by the Southern Trust.
“Council recognises and supports the need for the transformation of our health service to deliver better health outcomes for our patients but agrees that any permanent decision on the future of Emergency General Surgery at Daisy Hill must not be finalised until after a long-term plan for the future of our acute Hospital has been produced and consulted on as part of that transformation process.“
Cllr Michael Savage thanked Council Chairperson Cllr Valerie Harte for allowing the emergency motion to be heard at short notice. Standing orders had to be suspended and 80% of those councillors present had to agree to this procedure.
In speaking to his motion, Cllr Savage said: “The decision by the Southern Health Trust at Thursday’s Board Meeting to permanently remove Emergency General Surgery from our acute Daisy Hill Hospital has been taken against the backdrop of a democratic deficit on two fronts.
“Firstly, it is a decision that flies in the face of the views of over 11,000 service users and patients across this district who overwhelmingly voiced their opposition to the removal of Emergency General Surgery from Daisy Hill.
“94% of respondents voiced their opposition to this move yet their views and the views of upwards of 10,000 people taking to the streets of Newry have been ignored.
“Secondly it is a policy decision that has been taken at a time when we have no Northern Ireland Executive and no local Health Minister in place to make such seismic and impactful decisions.
“Such a decision taken in this manner makes a mockery of the consultation process which leaves citizens of this district feeling that there appears to be no such thing as a ‘temporary’ removal of a service from Daisy Hill.
“Again the Trust is putting the cart before the horse and ramming through a permanent major cut to services at Daisy Hill before a full picture of the future plans for the hospital have been developed.
“Surely the public would find it easier to accept this decision if it was part of a plan for the long-term future of our hospital, a plan that consolidates existing and new services at Daisy Hill long-term and gives patients and staff certainty.
“Councillors recognise the need to transform our services for better health outcomes, but I believe decisions like this one need to be made as part of the process which clearly states Daisy Hill’s valued role in that service delivery and transformation.
“And that is why I believe that this decision needs to be paused by the Permanent Secretary until a long-term plan is developed for Daisy Hill.
“I believe that plan can be delivered as early as January 2024.
“So I think it makes sense to hold off on this decision until the public see how it fits in to the overall picture of transformation of our health service and the envisaged role DHH plays in that transformation.”
Cllr Savage added: “This is another example of the Trust not bringing people with them as highlighted recently in an opinion piece in the Irish News by political commentator Deirdre Heenan.
“People need to know how this decision potentially fits with the long-term future of our local hospital.
“A fate accompli approach only feeds anxiety among patients and staff.
“That is why I asked members to support this motion and ensure that we see what the long-term plan is for Daisy Hill Hospital before decisions like the permanent removal of emergency general surgery are taken.”
Council will now forward the agreed and approved motion to the Southern Health Trust for a response.
The motion received full support from councillors.
