Concerns Raised Over North's A&E Closure Bid

A proposal to close Accident & Emergency (A&E) facilities around Belfast needs to be looked at carefully.

The SDLP Health Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has warned that the reduction of emergency services at Lagan Valley and their removal at City Hospital must not be done in isolation.

Speaking following the Assembly Health Committee's debate on the issue Mr Durkan said: "The SDLP accepts that there is a need for a rationalisation of A&E services across [NI] and in Belfast in particular.

"The repercussions of these changes could be disastrous if they are implemented without sufficient planning and reallocation of resources.

"Emergency services at the Royal, the Mater and Craigavon must be enhanced to deal with the inevitable increase in demand that the reduction in service at Lagan Valley and the removal of A&E from the City Hospital will bring about," he insisted.

"These decisions are being attributed to a shortage of junior doctors. This needs [to be] addressed as soon as possible, but I doubt very much that when it is, full A&E cover will be reinstated," he commented.

He was speaking after Health Minister Edwin Poots said there was a particular issue over a lack of consultants at the City Hospital, which had left a question mark over the viability of its A&E.

Mr Poots said that about 42,000 people visited the City Hospital's A&E department last year and conceded that its closure could lead to a problem with infrastructure capacity.

There was, however, no issue with staffing levels since personnel at the City would move to the Royal Victoria Hospital.

But the DUP Minister said there could be difficulties over whether or not there was enough room at the Royal to deal with the extra patients.

He said the proposals to close the City A&E will be discussed in the next couple of months but potentially, it could shut as early as October.

"The issue that we are discussing is that we have 25 cubicles in the Royal Victoria Hospital and if they are full, what do you do then?" Mr Poots said.

"That certainly is an issue that we need to look at particularly with the winter pressures," adding there was a strategic problem across Northern Ireland with "too many hospitals and not enough junior doctors".

The South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell has also now joined his party colleague and expressed serious concern at the new proposals which could mean the end of A&E services at Belfast City Hospital.

The SDLP's Dr McDonnell said: "I have been contacted by a large number of concerned residents in south Belfast since this proposal became public.

"I appreciate like most people do that we find ourselves in difficult financial times but I am concerned at any possible closure of south Belfast A&E services particularly when there are serious questions to be asked about the current capacity of the Royal Victoria Hospital to meet A&E demands.

"I will be raising this issue directly with the Minister for Health," he said.

Cross Party Concerns

Also commenting, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Health Spokesperson, John McCallister has raised serious concerns about the future provision of A&E services.

The South Down MLA commented: "Following answers given by the Health Minister during the meeting of the Committee at Stormont, he announced that the Accident and Emergency unit at the Lagan Valley Hospital is to shortly be reduced to a part time service between the hours of 9.00am-5.00pm.

"Given that the casualty unit at the Lagan Valley Hospital annually treats 33,000 people, the Ulster Unionist Party would be concerned that before the decision was taken the Health Minister was minded to increase the provision of beds and staff Royal Victoria and Craigavon Area Hospitals," he said.

"The Minister also revealed that he was personally minded to withdraw the A&E services at the City Hospital, Belfast.

"Whilst the UUP supports any measures taken by Departments that set out to improve efficiency as well as delivery of services, we would seek further confirmation that the services provided at the RVH and Mater Hospitals will be increased to cope with the demand that will inevitably be placed upon them," he continued.

"The UUP consistently warned the Finance Minister during previous budgetary debates that the health budget was not being allocated the necessary resources to carry on the standard of care it currently provides. Even within this financial year there is still up to an £85m 'black hole' in the health budget," he warned, in conclusion.

(BMcC/GK)