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Last weeks move by the Southern Trust to purchase the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council's Monaghan Row site in Newry and plans to purchase a site at Abbey Way have been welcomed by the Daisy Hill Future Group.
The Group have welcomed the announcement of the Southern Trust purchase to support the expansion of clinical services at Daisy Hill Hospital. The investment has been hailed by the Future Group as a very significant step forward in securing the future of Daisy Hill and its ongoing development as a major acute healthcare hub. The Monaghan Row site, purchased by the Trust for £900,000, will increase the hospital’s footprint by one third and offer a range of opportunities to further develop and enhance services on site.
The Future Group also welcomed the news that the Southern Trust has received £4.5 million from the Department of Health to purchase the Abbey Way site for the new Newry Community Care and Treatment Centre and to progress the design of the building. A spokesperson for the group said "The development of this new facility will see the consolidation of a range of services provided under one roof in a new purpose-built modern facility. This development will also free up further significant space within Daisy Hill to be used for the expansion of clinical services and professional training which will support the staff to continue to provide excellent and expert care."
Following on from the recent announcement that Daisy Hill has been nominated as an Elective Care Overnight Stay Centre, £9.1 million was secured to upgrade the electricity supply to the hospital site. The spokesperson continued "This work will pave the way for the development of a modern imaging suite, providing the very latest in diagnostic MRI and CT scanners on site. Daisy Hill will play a leading role in addressing the ever-growing elective surgical waiting lists across the region, where more than half of patients are waiting over 60 weeks on procedures. At the public meeting in Newry last week, organised by the Daisy Hill Future Group, the Trust’s Medical Director, Dr Stephen Austin, confirmed that recruitment of Theatre Nurses for the new Elective Care Centre was underway and he committed to the launch of this Centre within 6 months."
The group believe these developments will provide further incentives for recruitment of doctors, nurses and support staff, and will enhance the reputation of Daisy Hill as an acute hospital equipped for meeting the needs of the population now and into the future.
They also see the developments as key steps in the delivery of their Daisy Hill Future Group 8-point plan. The spokesperson concluded "The group have been working closely with senior officials in the Department of Health and the Southern Trust to lobby for and secure these initiatives, which now demonstrate a tangible commitment to Daisy Hill’s role as a vital part of healthcare provision across the region. The commitment from politicians, business leaders and community representatives as part of the Future Group, working in partnership with healthcare leaders, continues to produce significant positive developments for Daisy Hill Hospital"
The Group are asking for public support so they can continue to influence and lobby for further investment.
