Write a commentNewry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady has stated the Southern Health Trust has assured him that the concerns in relation to Paediatric Surgery Waiting times will be addressed and the matter resolved. The MP was commenting after he and his colleague Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan had met with the Trust's Chief Executive Shane Devlin to discuss this and a wide range of issues.
The MP said "The Southern Trust confirmed that there had been a regrettable delay in providing some children’s surgery within the Daisy Hill and Craigavon Hospitals. The Chief Executive apologised for any distress and inconvenience caused and give an assurance that Children’s surgery would be fully operational again at the start of June and that patients would be contacted about surgery dates in due course. In the meantime, anyone who is concerned should contact 028 3756 2495 9 – 5pm for advice and information.”
The Newry and Armagh MP commenting on the issue of waiting lists which had been also discussed at the meeting said,
"The Chief Executive revealed that £30 million was being invested to help with hospital waiting lists. This will help address the problem with the current situation but ultimately will not solve the overall problem"
and he continued "Waiting lists need to be tackled through sufficiently funded transformation as laid out in Michelle O’Neill’s ‘Delivering Together’ plan.
“Continued DUP-backed Tory austerity only undermines efforts to transform health and fail to address excessive waiting lists.”
Newry & Armagh MLA Cathal Boylan describing the meeting with the Chief Executive as constructive and informative, said there was a discussion on how the initiatives being funded under the £100m Health and Social Care Transformation fund can impact on those served by the Southern Health Trust.
"The planned package of investments for 2018/19 includes £15m for enhancing primary care – care which is largely provided from GP practices.
This will include some £5m for the roll-out of Multi Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) at GP practices. The establishment of practice-based physiotherapists, mental health specialists and social workers - working alongside doctors and nurses will hopefully help address the wide range of needs that currently are required by those within the health care system"
Mr Brady concluded by confirming he and his colleagues would continue to meet with the Trust "We will continue to liaise with the Trust and senior Officers for updates as it is essential to ensure that these initiatives which are planned, focus directly on improving the quality of patient care and the health and well being, emotional, mental and physical of patients"
