Daisy Hill for life

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Daisy Hill for life

This page is to celebrate Newry city’s Acute Hospital, Daisy Hill. Join with us to speak up & celebrate Daisy Hill for life!

A page to (1) Celebrate Daisy Hill, Newry city’s Acute Hospital, and its staff and services; (2) Promote need for expansion of specialist acute services, staff, number of beds, & imaging equipment at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry city for the future Strategically located on the Belfast-Dublin Trans European Network, Newry has excellent road and rail links and is connected to the major Port of Warrenpoint. DAISY HILL Hospital, Newry city is the longest established acute hospital in the Southern Trust and part of a network of 10 redesignated acute hospitals in Northern Ireland, all with 24/7 consultant–led A&E and 24/7 consultant-led maternity to provide a ‘seamless web of acute hospital care’ giving safe timely access to these ‘core’ services for all the population of Northern Ireland. (‘Developing Better Services’, 2003)

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, a Queen’s University teaching hospital is located in the Newry, Mourne, South Armagh Locality which is, and has always been (since pre 2008) the largest locality of the five localities, with the greatest population and greatest need in the Southern Trust Catchment area.
‘Daisy Hill for Life’ page aims to promote the need for expansion of specialist acute services, staff, number of beds, and imaging equipment at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry city for now and the future. Newry & Mourne LGD is projected to have the 3rd highest population in Northern Ireland of 118,500 by 2023 (Source: NI Statistics and Research Agency)

Daisy Hill is a respected Acute hospital and Queen's Teaching hospital in Newry and is currently in danger of the Southern Trust and Southern Commissioning Group's plan to remove Daisy Hill services and transfer them to a new hospital in Craigavon. This page is to share info and to help prevent proposed cuts to services and campaign for the capital expenditure for the new acute hospital in Newry as promised by Secretary of State Peter Hain in 2005, based on need and on accurate population projections. Lets keep it for our lives, and generations to come. Website: https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/

12/08/2025

REGIONAL LIFE SAVING CRITICAL CARE SERVICE (High Dependency Unit) REMOVED FROM DAISY HILL BY SOUTHERN TRUST WITHOUT REGIONAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION

The Southern Trust has now officially withdrawn the High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry and seriously ill patients needing Level 2 High Dependency Care are now sent to Craigavon Hospital instead.

WHAT IS HIGH DEPENDENCY CARE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

It was a Ministerial decision by Mr Edwin Poots MLA to open a new 10 bed High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry in 2012, because of the number of seriously ill patients (volumes) needing timely access to Critical Care that only a HDU or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can provide. (Ref 1)

Daisy Hill’s High Dependency Unit was situated on Level 3 as can be seen from the picture taken in 2014.

Speaking in 2014 about the Daisy Hill High Dependency Unit (HDU) Dr Shane Moan Consultant Respiratory Physician at DHH stated in Southern Trust promotional material,: “It’s a Ten bedded unit with 2 isolation rooms, It’s spacious, airy, it’s for the delivery of care to Level 2 patients, those are patients who are seriously and critically ill, who require close monitoring, high level of nursing and medical care. Patients are able to receive high quality care and we will recognise deteriorations earlier, hopefully avert the need for patients to be transferred to the intensive care unit. Or if the patient does need to be transferred to the intensive care unit, we will be more advanced in plans for transfer at an earlier stage, so then it’s safer.”

>‘STRENGTHENING THE HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT (HDU) AT DAISY HILL HOSPITAL’ WAS A KEY OBJECTIVE FOR DEPT. OF HEALTH DHH PATHFINDER PROJECT

The Southern Trust decision to withdraw this Regional Service (High Dependency) goes against the Department of Health’s own 2021 Project Objective for Daisy Hill Hospital to have its HDU strengthened.

The Department of Health wrote: ‘OBJECTIVE: ‘TO IMPROVE UNSCHEDULED AND ACUTE MEDICAL SERVICES ON THE DAISY HILL HOSPITAL SITE BY STRENGTHENING THE HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT’. (Quote from the Department of Health, Health and Well Being 2026 -Delivering Together Progress Report 2021: Development of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder, p106) (Ref 2).

It is also stated in DOH Health and Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together Progress Report 2021 that under the Regional project ‘Development of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder’ the Department were prepared to invest nearly £6 million pounds to develop Daisy Hill Hospital services, especially it’s High Dependency Unit. (Ref 2).

DAISY HILL HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT NOW REMOVED BY SOUTHERN TRUST

In complete contrast to the DOH decision above, the Southern Trust website, the News page on 31 July 2025 shows that the Southern Trust has now removed the HDU from Daisy Hill. This change was based on recommendations from their own Southern Trust ‘DHH Expert Panel’ report. Page 1 of this Expert Panel report stated:

“1.The Provision Of A Unit With A Remit To Provide Level 2/High Dependency Care... on The Daisy Hill Hospital Site CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED ON THE BASIS OF HISTORIC OR CURRENT WORKLOAD” (Ref 3)

However looking at the evidence from Department of Health officially recorded high case volumes in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s High Dependency Unit from 2014 -2020, Both historic and modern Regional Critical Care statistics CONFIRM THAT DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL IN NEWRY HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INPATIENTS needing High Dependency Critical Care services in all of NI each year since April 2014 to end March 2020. (Ref 4)

These Regional Critical Care Stats show 18,709 patients over six years received life saving critical care in Daisy Hill HDU. That is an average of 3,118 seriously ill patients being cared for in Daisy Hill specialist Acute Hospital HDU Yearly. (Ref 4)

The Royal Victoria Hospital was second highest with a 14,775 total inpatients in HDU for the same six years (2014 to end March 2020), or a yearly average of 2,463 seriously ill patients needing High Dependency care.

More recent DoH figures for the year 2019/20 show that 3,642 critically ill patients in need of timely access to Critical Care Services were admitted to the High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry. (Ref 4)

That equates to an average of 70 EXTREMELY ILL PATIENTS A WEEK who needed HDU Critical Care services in Daisy Hill in 2019/20.

EVIDENCE > DAISY HILL HOSPITAL’S HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT HAD THE HIGHEST PATIENT VOLUMES OF ALL HDUs in NI FROM 2014 -2020

Evidence and statistics from Department of Health Regional Critical Care statistics (above) contradicts the ‘DHH Expert Panel’ report’s statement on page1: “1.the provision of a unit with a remit to provide level 2 /high dependency care... On the daisy hill hospital site cannot be justified on the basis of historic or current workload”

>According to Department of Health Regional Critical Care statistics DAISY HILL Hospital in fact had the HIGHEST NUMBER/volumes of patients’ in HDUs IN ALL of NI for 6 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

>CONCLUSION – DAISY HILL ACUTE HOSPITAL HIGH DEPENDENCY UNIT MUST BE REINSTATED IMMEDIATELY

The Dept of Health is in control of Regional services based on the entire population, and Regional services have to be FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY provided across NI. The Southern Trust should not have withdrawn this vitally important life saving Regional service, High Dependency Unit from Newry’s Daisy Hill Acute Hospital without Regional public consultation.

All Trusts must follow the DoH objectives, statistics and do things properly, follow the chain of command and follow correct procedures when dealing with Regional public services and dealing with public money.

It is vitally important; that reasons given for removing Critical Care and other Regional Services from Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry must be informed by accurate volumes of inpatients taken from DOH Hospital Inpatient Statistics and Population Needs Assessment. All specialist and Regional services are planned, managed and delivered on a REGIONAL basis through the
Department of Health so there must be Regional Public Consultation before any permanent changes are made to any Regional Service including HDU Critical Care services in Daisy Hill Hospital.

The Dept. of Health DHH Pathfinder Project invested time and money ‘to improve unscheduled and acute medical services on the DHH site by Strengthening the High Dependency Unit’ – so it is not in the Southern Trust remit to undo this good work.

In summary - justification for the need for a High Dependency Unit in Daisy Hill could not be clearer. The reasons include the DOH officially recorded high case volumes in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital’s High Dependency Unit from 2014 -2020 and official backing from the Department of Health as shown in the Delivering Together Progress Report 2021.

Daisy Hill Acute Hospital High Dependency Unit must be reinstated immediately.

Please share to spread the news. Thank you

REFERENCES

Ref 1: Link
https://www.4ni.co.uk/northern-ireland-news/149485/new-unit-opens-at-daisy-hill-hospital

New Unit Opens At Daisy Hill Hospital 21/08/2012. ‘Health Minister Edwin Poots has officially opened a new High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital’.

Ref 2: Delivering Together Progress Report 2021: Development Of The Daisy Hill Pathfinder 2021’, (page 106) (Department of Health for NI):

Ref 3: ‘Daisy Hill Hospital (DHH) Expert Panel – Chair’s Final Report to the Chief Executive (Southern Trust) - 21 February 2024’:

Ref 4: Background Factual Information/Statistics: Source Department of Health (DoH) Last updated: April 2021.
Specialist Services Daisy Hill Hospital Critical Care High Dependency Unit Inpatient Activity Numbers:
April 2014- March 2015: 2,558 inpatients
April 2015- March 2016: 3,066 inpatients
April 2016 - March 2017: 3,046 inpatients
April 2017 - March 2018: 3,165 inpatients
April 2018-March 2019: 3,232 inpatients
April 2019- March 2020: 3,642 inpatients

Critical Care Unit capacity across Northern Ireland is defined in two ways: level two (high dependency [HDU]) and level three (intensive care [ICU]). 2020
Please share this post. Thankyou. (Blog link >
https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/08/12/regional-life-saving-critical-care-service-high-dependency-unit-removed-from-daisy-hill-by-southern-trust-without-regional-public-consultation/
How you can help Blog link>
https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/how-you-can-help/

20/07/2025

DAISY HILL NEEDS TIMELY EMERGENCY SURGERY!

This week the campaign run by the people of Fermanagh & South Tyrone to retain Emergency Surgery at the South West Acute Hospital has been headline news. The Health Minister Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA must be commended for listening to the people and ensuring correct procedure is followed by halting the current consultation.
The people of Newry, Mourne and Down also need access to TIMELY Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill in Newry, and fairness and correct procedure must be adhered to here also as the people of Newry, Mourne and Down deserve the same dignity as the rest of the people living here.

Daisy Hill in Newry City is (or was) the ONLY designated Acute Hospital providing access to CONSULTANT LED TIMELY life saving Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Care for the population of the 2 constituencies of Newry/Armagh and South Down. Population 235,877 with 60,327 under 18’s (NISRA 2020).

Because of the large Population it serves and the large land mass size, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry was designated as one of a Network of only nine Acute Hospitals in NI, after a DoH Regional Consultation. All of these nine hospitals EDs are vital to ensure timely access to 24/7 Emergency Surgical and Emergency Medical Services WITHIN ONE HOUR, to the entire population of NI no matter where they choose to live.

However, the previous Southern Trust management unfairly broke up the Regional Network of time reliant Emergency Surgery and Emergency Medical Services by proposing in April 2023 to provide Emergency Surgery only in Craigavon Hospital. This meant then the removal of timely life saving Emergency Surgery, and its specialist clinical staff from Newry City’s Specialist Acute Hospital, Daisy Hill.

The people and Newry, Mourne and Down Council were against this proposal – but the Southern Trust still went ahead. The Permanent Secretary of DoH agreed to PERMANENTLY withdraw Emergency Surgery from Daisy Hill, and announced this on 8 January 2024, without a Regional Public Consultation and when the Executive /Assembly was not in place.

>The Dept. of Health recorded this in its Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24: ‘The permanent closure of the Emergency General Surgery service at the Daisy Hill Hospital site following a comprehensive consultation process in January 2024. A new service for all Southern patients is now fully operational in Craigavon Area Hospital with new inter-Trust and NIAS pathways to manage the demand from the Newry/Mourne population.”

Despite what is written in the Annual Report, there was NOT ‘comprehensive consultation’. Emergency surgery like heart and stroke is a Regional service and there must be a Regional consultation. There was no Regional Consultation.

The Southern Trust questionnaire asked : ‘Do you agree with the proposal to provide Emergency General Surgery Services on the Craigavon Area Hospital site 24 hours per day 7 days per week? IT DID NOT STATE THEY WOULD WITHDRAW TIMELY EMERGENCY SURGERY FROM DAISY HILL IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
This was a ‘local’ Trust ‘consultation’ and not appropriate for life saving Regional Services like Emergency Surgery. But in this local Trust ‘consultation’ - 94% of people said NO.

The Trust received 11,377 responses including a questionnaire completed by the ‘Save Our Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill Hospital’ group, endorsed by 11,053 people, NOT IN AGREEMENT with the Southern Trust proposal.

>REGIONAL SERVICES MUST BE PLANNED, MANAGED AND DELIVERED ON A REGIONAL BASIS.

The point must be made again -Emergency surgery like heart and stroke is a Regional service and there must be a REGIONAL consultation.

The Dept. of Health’s own Annual Report, writes that under the principles of Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together : “This will empower local providers and communities to plan integrated continuous care based on the needs of their population, with specialised and regional services planned, managed and delivered ON A REGIONAL BASIS.”(DoH Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 pg7)

This matter is not closed for the people of Newry, Mourne and Down, just like the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone asking for fair play, equality and campaigning to retain Emergency Surgery in South West Hospital, they also need access to Emergency Surgery at Daisy Hill in Newry because it saves lives and we deserve the same dignity as the rest of the people living here.

The people of Newry Mourne and Down ask for fairness from the current Health Minster and Department of Health. A proper REGIONAL Consultation is needed. This will ensure correct procedure is followed and will properly address the issue of access to Emergency Surgery across the whole network of 9 acute hospitals including Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry , Mourne and Down and South West acute in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

TIMELY Emergency Surgery saves lives!

Please share and continue to keep the campaign alive.

ENDS

REFERENCES/BACKGROUND
> Dept. of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 for year end 31 March 2024 (p 10 pdf)
> Dept. of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (p 7 pdf)
>Provision of Emergency General Surgery In The Southern Health And Social Care Trust - Public Consultation Feedback Report September 2023

Please share.

28/06/2025

LAST DAY! CLOSES TODAY! Sat 28th June 5pm. STILL TIME to Write For your Equality Rights & Help Daisy Hill Hospital:: Doh Draft Equality & Disability Public Consultation 2025

Why? Newry, is the Gateway to NI on the TENS European Road, Rail, and Sea economic corridor where hundreds of thousands travel through (mainly by road) yearly. Yet, vital Regional Emergency Services including Emergency Surgery was withdrawn permanently from Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry.(withour Regional Public Consultation)
Regional Emergency Surgery and Emergency medical inpatient beds needs to be provided, not removed from Daisy Hill acute hospital, Newry to make sure there is timely access to Emergency Services for all patients, (locals and visitors alike) including for potential road, work, and farm accidents.
There is Geographical inequality here, as access to timely life saving emergency treatment is denied to many large populations. This must be changed.

We must put our objection down in writing as part of this consultation to the singling out of Daisy Hill Hospital for downgrading of Regional Inpatient Hospital services which will remove time critical equitable access to some vital Regional Emergency Services (and specialist acute inpatient services always provided in Daisy Hill Hospital) that the population of Newry Mourne and Down have vital need for and have paid for.

>The deadline is TODAY – so Please reply by closing date this Saturday 28th June 2025@5pm.

If you want to take part but are short on time – there are 10 Questions in total but you don’t have to answer them all. You decide which is best for you. You can just select 1 or 2 Questions and select the answers you prefer from the info below. If you wish you can copy the10 answers which are typed onto the first 10 comments section below and if you agree with the answers you can use them.
LINKS
Link to the DoH Online Consultation: https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/draft-equality-action-plan-and-di/

More information from the Daisy Hill for Life Website, where there are also pre-filled word questionnaires for you to download, edit as required and then attach to email.) and the full consultation info and links from the official Department of Health Website
https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/06/25/new-write-for-your-rights-doh-equality-and-disability-action-plans-consultation-with-suggested-response-24-06-2025/

New! LINK*****See website with quick access to online questionnaire https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/06/28/quick-summary-sheet-answers-to-take-part-in-doh-equality-and-disability-consultation-online-consultation-closes-28-06-2025/

This is the last day so please share and please take part, if you can, to make sure the Department is aware of the major inequalities here. Thank you very much. PLEASE SHARE.

24/06/2025

INEQUALITY – STILL HERE in JUNE 2025 – Write for your EQUALITY RIGHTS (DOH Draft Equality & Disability Plans Public Consultation)

This time two years ago, on 25th June 2023 people came out in their thousands to show their support for Daisy Hill Hospital at the SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Committee Public Rally in Newry. People here care and will show up for Daisy Hill, the designated Acute Hospital in Newry city.

Now its June 2025, so have there been announcements of more investment for specialist acute services for Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, for its large and growing population?
After all, Official population figures right back to 1971 show that Newry & Mourne (former) local government district (LGD) has always ranked in the TOP 4 populations in NI.

NO, instead of return of Specialist services (like Emergency Surgery and acute stroke) and more capital investment to Daisy Hill–(Apart from proposing some essential Electrical Maintenance) the following is recorded in the DOH 2023-4 Annual Report :

‘Progress and key achievements in 2023/24: The initial phases of remodelling the acute model at Daisy Hill Hospital by REDUCING BED CAPACITY and INCREASING COMMUNITY based medical management. '
'Further development is ongoing in 2024-25 and it is expected that OTHER LOCAL HOSPITALS CAN LEARN from this model in the future.’ (DOH Annual Report 2023-4, Page 10)

COMPARING THE TWO SOUTHERN TRUST ACUTE HOSPITALS – DAISY HILL, NEWRY AND CRAIGAVON (From 2023- on)

While the longest established Hospital in the Southern Trust, Daisy Hill Acute Hospital, Newry gets reconfigured, reshaped, re-designated by withdrawing and centralising its specialist services to Craigavon. Vital equipment for the LONG TERM future stalled again e.g. CT/ MRI Scanners . - There is a different story in the other Acute Hospital in the Southern Trust, (newly built in 1971). Craigavon Hospital is treated much more favourably in the Department of Health Budget 2023-24 with the opposite proposal of EXTRA BEDS:

‘There are a number of critical capital schemes that the Department would like to commence in 2023/24 which include...THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL BED CAPACITY at CRAIGAVON Area Hospital’ (P10 Department of Health Budget 2023-24 Equality Impact Assessment)

CRAIGAVON CAPITAL PROPOSAL FOR £2.4 BILLION: REVENUE £38.5 MILLION. FUNDING STREAM IS NAMED AS DOH.

Craigavon Hospital continues to get major investment, beds, equipment and staff and still wants MORE
E.g. Southern Trust Board Report Jan 2025 lists the new Capital Proposal for Craigavon Area Hospital Site Wide Redevelopment Programme with a Capital/Revenue Value £2.4 BILLION/ Revenue £38.5million.
The Funding Stream is named as DOH.

NEWRY & MOURNE HAS A HIGHER POPULATION THAN CRAIGAVON

Official population figures right back to 1971 show that Newry & Mourne local government district (LGD) has always ranked in the top 4 populations in NI and since 2007 has always had the HIGHEST population of the 5 LGD areas in the Southern Trust area. (See Background Facts for Figures)

So, given the consistently large recorded population size -
where is the access to timely Regional Emergency Services and Specialist inpatient services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, for the people of Newry, Mourne & Down?

Lack of inpatient hospital access (to the only hospital in this area - Daisy Hill) is a major health inequality affecting the adults and children who live in Newry & Mourne.

And how can people bring this inequality to light in 2025?

The DOH has developed New Draft Equality and Draft Disability Action Plans for 2025 to 2030. They write: “This consultation gives you an opportunity to tell us what you think should be included in our Equality Action Plan and Disability Action Plans for the next 5 years.” This Regional Consultation is our chance to put in writing the need for Equality in Newry Mourne and Down.

>WHY ANSWER THIS NEW CONSULTATION?

The DOH has given an opportunity to write to them directly about inequalities so this is a real chance to write about major health inequalities in the Southern Trust.

This inequality affects all Section 75 groups in the population regarding lack of access to acute hospital inpatient treatment at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry, because vital TIMELY life saving Regional Accident and Emergency Medical inpatient services (like Stroke, timely Emergency Surgical inpatient Services, and vital timely Critical Care Services High Dependency beds) were withdrawn from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry without the Department going to the necessary Public Regional Consultations.

Emergency Surgery was removed permanently in Jan 2024 when there was no NI Executive in place. It was also announced Daisy Hill Hospital change of use to a Regional Elective care centre, and removal of beds without Public Regional Consultation.

These are huge inequalities as it was the only acute Hospital in NI treated this way and will have a negative effect on health outcomes of the very large numbers of children and adults living here.

Newry & Mourne is a major settlement, the 4th highest population in NI and has always had the highest (former) local government district population in the Southern Trust operational area, but it is being wrongly categorised as an ‘isolated community’ in the DoH Hospital Network Consultation. Newry & Mourne is not an isolated community; the populations’ needs are not being assessed correctly.

To help people write in to the Department about inequality in this Public Consultation as the closing date is this saturday 28th June - Some SUGGESTED ANSWERS are available HERE. https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/06/25/new-write-for-your-rights-doh-equality-and-disability-action-plans-consultation-with-suggested-response-24-06-2025/

Background Facts

The Southern Trust Operational Area is still the former five Local Government Districts of Newry & Mourne, Armagh, Craigavon, Dungannon and Banbridge. Projected population for 2026 in Southern Trust/ SLCG: Newry & Mourne (111,508); Craigavon (109,655); Armagh (66,848); Dungannon (67,870) and Banbridge (53,202) NISRA June 2025.

LINKS
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-equality-action-plan-and-draft-disability-action-plan

ENDS
Please Help and Please Share. Thank you.

18/05/2025

EMERGENCY SURGERY - THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS

Over c 453, 455 people (nearly a quarter of the NI population) have been denied access to a Regional service at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry and at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, because two Health Trusts decided to withdraw life-saving Emergency Surgery at these acute hospitals, even though the decisions to remove these Regional Emergency Services never went to REGIONAL Public Consultation.* (See End)

The accompanying map graphic shows the stark reality of the areas and numbers affected. The grey coloured area on the map shows where the 453,455 (adults and children alike), have now been left without access to Emergency Surgery in these two designated acute hospitals Newry and Enniskillen. This number does not even include the thousands of tourists who visit this area.

The local populations objected to the removal of Emergency Surgery from the two Acute Hospitals since 2022, through the only mechanisms open to them through their local councils and by objecting in their thousands through the TRUST ONLY LOCAL LEVEL consultations.

In Newry, the ‘Save Our Emergency Surgery Action Group’ organised a huge rally in opposition to centralisation of Emergency Surgery to Craigavon Hospital and collected and submitted 12,000 responses to the Southern Trust LOCAL Emergency Surgery Consultation.

Mr Francis Gallagher, the group’s Chair stated in a Newry Reporter article : “Tell the DOH and the trust that we demand equality and respect by having equal timely access to life-saving healthcare” (Newry Reporter April 2023)

Save our Acute Services who also co-ordinated a community campaign in Fermanagh area stated they secured over 30,286 individual responses to Western Trust consultation on ‘temporary’ removal of Emergency Surgery from the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

The Community campaigns also had strong local government support, with both Newry Mourne and Down Council and the Fermanagh and Omagh Councils strongly opposing the withdrawal of Emergency Surgery from their Acute Hospitals and communicating with the Department of Health on this issue.

FOR BETTER OUTCOMES AND EQUALITY, ALL HEALTH TRUSTS MUST ADHERE TO THE RURAL NEEDS ACT AND RETURN EMERGENCY SURGERY TO THESE ACUTE HOSPITALS.

Health Trusts should have remembered before they took it on themselves to withdraw life saving Regional services like Emergency Surgery from the predominantly Rural (NUTS Classification) ‘West and South of NI’, that they have a “duty of care” to continue to provide, not deprive this population of life saving Emergency Surgery.

The Southern and Western Health Trusts also have to adhere to the NI Rural Needs Act 2016 and consider the extent of harm their decision did to this predominantly Rural Population when they withdrew timely life saving Emergency Surgery.
Because of this they should REVERSE their decision and return Emergency Surgery without delay to achieve better outcomes for the Rural population under their care.

The Rural population in NI are entitled to the same value for public money for Life-saving Emergency services as the urban population, as the quote from the Rural Needs Act below shows.

RURAL NEEDS ACT 2016:
“In seeking to identify Rural Needs public authorities should consider to what extent the policy, strategy, plan or public services will meet the social and economic needs of people in rural areas and whether the outcomes delivered for people in rural areas will be similar to the outcomes delivered for people in urban areas.”

It is a serious situation that over 453, 455 people (nearly a quarter of the NI population) has been denied access to a Regional service at Daisy Hill Acute Hospital in Newry and at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

The removal of a life saving Regional Service like Emergency Surgery is one that can only be dealt with through a REGIONAL Public Consultation.

The fact that Emergency Surgery was removed from two designated acute hospitals, without a REGIONAL Public Consultation or due process makes this a Rural Needs and an Equality issue.

The best way to continue to bring this to the attention of the Dept of Health and Health Minister is though our politicians - MLAs, Councillors and MPs and directly through the next available Equality and Disability Public Consultation.

The latest Consultation is open and is asking for public feedback, so this a good opportunity to keep up standing our ground for our Acute Hospitals, designated by Government in 2003 and paid for with our public funds, taxes and national insurance contributions.

Details on the ‘Public Consultation on the Department of Health’s Draft Equality Action and Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030’ will follow shortly.

Please share if you can. Thank you.

ENDS HERE

BACKGROUND:
Graphic Source: Population projections for the 5 former NUTS UK Eurostat Administrative Areas (year 2025): Source NISRA.
NUTS III Areas still relevant because these areas cover the 26 councils which still remain the operational areas of the 5 Health Trusts.

*Emergency Surgery Withdrawn from two Acute Hospitals in NI without regional consultation

*NEWRY
Emergency Surgery withdrawn from Daisy Hill acute Hospital in Newry - permanent service change (8 January 2024)
‘DoH approves permanent service change - The Department of Health has approved the Southern Health and Social Care Trust decision to permanently consolidate emergency general surgery services at Craigavon Area Hospital.’ Date published: 8 January 2024

*ENNISKILLEN
Western Trust Corporate Risk Update at 30 May 2024
23/05/2024 ‘Temporary suspension (Emergency General Surgery) remains in place with Trust now in the preparatory stages to move to consultation on a permanent change delivery model.’

Next Consultation:
Public Consultation on the Department of Health’s Draft Equality Action and Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030

Background ends

Please share if you can. Thank you.

08/04/2025

DAISY HILL AS ACUTE AREA HOSPITAL OR HEALTH CENTRE? Which is YOUR Capital Priority? SOUTHERN TRUST IS DECIDING FOR YOU. DoH Budget Consultation Closes tonight Wed 9th April TONIGHT 1 minute to midnight at 11.59pm)

Despite being asked by the Dept. of Health time after time what investment money they need for their TWO acute hospitals in Newry and Craigavon, the Southern Trust have NEVER asked the DoH for any money for necessary investment for redevelopment of Daisy Hill for its long term future as an Acute Hospital like they are asking for redevelopment of Craigavon Hospital.

The following statements show that when asked by the DoH over the years what Capital investment was needed for their TWO acute hospitals in Newry and Craigavon, the Southern Trust never identified a need for vital Capital investment in Daisy Hill Acute Hospital to secure its long term future.

Only Craigavon hospital was identified for future Redevelopment money ranging from £400million in 2014 to over £1billion.

In 2023 when the Southern Trust knew they had to fund the proposed new Primary Care Community Treatment Centre themselves, they asked the DOH for £1.6 Billion for redevelopment of Craigavon acute hospital and only a NEW Primary Care Community Treatment Centre (PCCC) for Newry. Yet again Daisy Hill was deprived of its entitlement of DoH money for future Redevelopment as an Area Acute Hospital.

The Southern Trust are so determined to build a Health and Care in Newry to “shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.” they are prepared to fund it themselves when the private developer was unable to build it.
(The Auditors Report Case Study 7 states clearly “The Newry PCCC is being taken forward through a standard procurement process FUNDED BY THE SOUTHERN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE TRUST”

THE DRAFT BUDGET 2025-6 PROPOSALS (Capital Spending)

>>The DOH Draft Budget 2025-26 proposes funding for extra hospital beds capacity for Craigavon Hospital, as a ‘critical’ capital scheme, but the ‘critical’ Budget proposal for Newry is not for extra bed capacity or future redevelopment of Daisy Hill Hospital - but instead to build a new Community Treatment Centre (Health Centre) in Newry, (costing approx £88.3million) (P15/17 Equality doc).

The Consultation on Equality Impact and Rural Needs Impact Assessment of the Department of Health Draft Budget 2025-26 closes Wednesday 9th April before 11.59pm. (1 minute to midnight)

The Southern Trust won’t ask for capital investment for Daisy Hill as an Acute Hospital– but WE CAN all ask the Department & Minister directly through this Budget Consultation for Daisy Hill’s share and let them know about the budget injustices in the Southern Trust.

We now have the chance to make a difference on how this money is spent –and ask for the DOH to spend the capital investment on extra inpatient acute beds in Daisy Hill Hospital and to provide the first stage of a new major specialist acute Area Hospital building in Newry City.

This new hospital should be secured for the long term future in Newry as an Area Acute Hospital with 24/7 Level 1 ED, ICU and permanent major diagnostic equipment including MRI, CT and non obstetric ultrasound scanning equipment, (essential for retention of specialist clinical staff).

*Please don’t miss this opportunity to get straight through to the Department and Minister directly. Link to Suggested Answers >>> https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/suggested-answers-for-doh-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-assessment-version-2-shorter/

BACKGROUND
“The Trust is continuing to progress plans for a Health and Care centre in Newry which will support the shift of Acute services primarily from Daisy Hill Hospital to a community facility.” (Southern Trust Delivery Plan 2018/19).

The 2023-2024 Annual Report shows that ““the Southern HSC Trust has identified a need for investment in excess of some £1.6 billion. This includes re-development of Craigavon Area Hospital together with much needed infrastructure in particular for Primary Care and Social Care, backlog maintenance and diagnostic equipment requirements.”

**DOH Draft Budget Consultation Link: >>>>
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-budget-2025-26

For further info and Suggested Answers - please see the previous facebook post or read on the website LINK >>> https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/another-budget-another-boost-for-craigavon-but-what-about-daisy-hill-your-help-needed-in-april-2025-doh-draft-budget-consultation/

Link to Suggested Answers: (longer)
https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/suggested-answers-for-doh-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-assessment-version-1/

Link to Suggested Answers: (shorter)>>>
https://savedaisyhillhospital.com/2025/04/06/suggested-answers-for-doh-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-assessment-version-2-shorter/

**Please Help, Please take part. Please share. Thank you.
We have until 11.59pm, 1 minute to midnight tonight to get replies in. Thank you!

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Hospital Road
Newry
BT358DR

Website

http://www.savedaisyhillhospital.com/

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