Write a commentWith the background of further changes already carried out at Daisy Hill Hospital and the threat of more cuts a group of local individuals have formed Daisy Hill Action Group.
The group was formed at a recent meeting in the Sean Holywood Arts Centre.
It has published its strategy to help unite the whole community around a future campaign to oppose what it describes as ‘an unprecedented onslaught upon our acute medical services’.
Francis Gallagher was elected its chairperson or consensor as he likes to put it. He said “There is a wisdom behind letting the public know our strategy in detail because it sends out the message that we have put some thought into this and hopefully people’s confidence will be enhanced knowing that we can win this battle to save acute services at Daisy Hill.”
“ Before Christmas it was the stroke unit at Daisy Hill that came under the shadow of centralization, now we are hearing the A & E unit may have reduced hours – so we can be rest assured other acute services will come under the axe of centralization.”
The Daisy Hill Action Group’s initial strategy (which is open for wider discussion from the public) is as follows:
Vision: short term
To change the decision to centralize Daisy Hill Stroke Unit to Craigavon and to prevent any reduction to the A&E and other services at Daisy Hill.
Vision: long term
To have a new enhanced full acute hospital established at Newry to incorporate a new contemporary building on a green field site. This hospital will provide services to people from this whole border region. We will highlight the need for a more accountable, transparent and participatory system of health service governance.
Strategy to achieve vision
We will win the moral argument by showing the ethical and clinical flaws in the Department of Health’s policy of centralizing acute medical services when super specialist treatment is not required.
Tactics to implement strategy
A non party political, broad community campaign will be carried out to achieve our vision.
We will take ownership of the moral high ground by obtaining clinical/professional support to counteract arguments used by the Department of Health to centralize acute services where this is not clinically required.
Another rally will be organized that will be even bigger than the last one in March.
Funding will be raised to finance a business/clinical case for the retention of current acute services at Daisy Hill and for the establishment of a new acute hospital at Newry.
Hospital campaigners will meet (as soon as possible) with the Minister of Health and with the First and Deputy First Minister.
We will continually widen out participation in the Daisy Hill Action group so it will include anyone who wants to contribute in a positive way. This will be done through public meetings. The group will have an implementation committee that will include a wide spectrum of professional expertise from a legal, medical, health economics, accountancy and disciplines.
