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Chris Hazzard MP has called on the Health Minister to urgently address a severe shortage of Domiciliary Care positions as "thousands of hours” of care are currently unfilled across the region.
The South Down MP met with the Southern; and South Eastern Health & Social Care trust Chief Executives last week to discuss the current situation within our local health system, including the need to restore services at Daisy Hill and Downe hospitals as soon as possible.
Mr Hazzard said “It is clear that our local community want to see services restored at Daisy Hill and the Downe to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible, but for that to be possible we need to remain vigilant against another dangerous wave of Covid19 infections. We need to keep Covid19 levels suppressed as much as possible so that our hospitals can cope with the traditional winter pressures; manage Covid19 patients; and increase service provision in other urgent areas.
“It was alarming to also learn of the emerging crisis within domiciliary care. Like many parts of the wider economy and job market, Brexit and the Tories new immigration regime has led many foreign nationals to leave the north in search of more secure employment options elsewhere. This has had a severe impact on our delivery model for domiciliary care.
“Unfortunately such a shortage of domiciliary care staff is having a negative knock-on effect for our hospitals as patients who would normally be discharged with a care package are not able to secure these vital care services; and so they remain in hospital unnecessarily, removed from family and unable to begin further steps in their recovery.
“The Health Minister must act urgently to address this crisis within domiciliary care, so that our health workers are not over stretched; our patients get the care and support they need; and we eliminate the need for unnecessary hospital stays."
