Campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital will be holding a public meeting at Coleraine Town Hall, on November 7, at 7pm, to organise a rally next month to “deliver a final message” to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt over the future of emergency and general surgery.”
A public consultation is taking place over a proposal by the Trust to carry out all emergency surgery in the area at Antrim Hospital and general surgery at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.
The Trust considers that this option would “maintain safe and effective care” and would provide a sustainable model for the future provision of general surgical services.
It has emphasised the importance of “planning its workforce pro-actively rather than waiting for and reacting to an inevitable collapse in the service”.
However, Causeway Hospital campaigners fear the current proposal and mitigations in place for the Trust’s “preferred option” are “not suffice”.
Chairperson of SOS Causeway Hospital Gemma Brolly said:
“The public are in no way reassured or convinced that this will improve waiting list lengths and times or indeed improve the health and well-being of their lives.
“We, as an organisation, SOS Causeway Hospital, have welcomed the increased communication and co-operation. We have made clear there is only one way to regain our trust and that is to prove by action, our concerns, our ideas and opinions are incorporated in any plans moving forward.
“SOS Causeway volunteers continue to work hard to ensure as many as possible are aware of the current proposal and complete the current consultation. We are ensuring the public’s voices are heard but the question remains will they truly be listened to?”
Vice-chairperson Adele Tomb stated:
“We have learned from past experience that many find out too late about these decisions, not having prior knowledge of existing consultations, so this time round, our passionate volunteers have worked hard to ensure this is not the case by encouraging the public to complete and return consultation responses.
“We are fulfilling our duty as active citizens in ensuring our voices are heard, but whether the NHSCT and moreover, the Health Minister and his Department will truly fulfil their role, particularly as public representatives, remains very much to be seen.”
Gemma added:
“SOS Causeway Hospital will do all in their power to bring about genuine cohesion in fighting for the services they believe the people of Causeway Coast and Glens deserve.
“We will leave no stone unturned, which is why we have decided to come together as one community to deliver our message to Minister Nesbitt, his department and the NHSCT – your ‘preferred option’ is not ours! Rethink the transformation and implement what truly is the safest decision for all.”
Currently, the Northern Trust provides a range of surgeries at both Antrim and Causeway Hospitals.
These are: emergency general surgery, the treatment of patients for acute abdominal problems, soft tissue infections, bleeding and trauma; general surgery that focuses on diseases of the digestive tract and abdominal cavity; elective general surgery that is planned in advance such as gall bladder, hernia repair and other minor surgeries as well as major colorectal such as bowel resections often for the treatment of cancer and high volume surgery such as gall bladder removal.
The public consultation will continue until November 29.