McGimpsey Defends A&E Closures

As opposition grows to the closure of two casualty departments the Stormont Health Minister has said that keeping Whiteabbey Hospital accident and emergency services open "would endanger patients".

He said that senior doctors are to leave the Newtownabbey hospital this month and insisted that the casualty unit cannot be safely sustained.

Last week, it was announced A&E departments at both Whiteabbey and Mid-Ulster would close on May 24 with Antrim Area Hospital taking many of the patients.

However, on Sunday last, 18 patients there were being treated on trolleys - such was the level of overcrowding - and that's before the other two facilities have shut their doors.

Mr McGimpsey (pictured) said: "This is literally a situation of your life in their hands. As a Minister when I am faced with a senior colleague, the senior A&E clinician and her staff, saying to me that patients could come to harm given the service, the vulnerability of that service, I have no choice other than to act."

Current arrangements were planned to last another six months before the Minister's hand "was forced" by the departing clinicians, he said.

"We can't sustain local hospitals with acute services in situations where it is virtually impossible to recruit," he added.

Newtownabbey Alderman Nigel Hamilton commented: "The decision to close A&E services and Cardiology at Whiteabbey and downgrading the former to Minor Injuries Unit is high handed.

"The manner of the announcement and the inadequate consultation has left many patients fearing for the vital services which on many occasions saved lives and provided an essential service to residents in Newtownabbey and as far away as Islandmagee," explained the DUP man.

Slamming the Northern Health Trust, the councillor and former member of the Board's Health and Social Services Council patient/client consumer watchdog continued: "All indications from the Antrim Hospital over the last few days suggest that it is woefully incapable of taking on the extra burden which is expected of it from the proposed date May 24th.

SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone also said reports of long trolley waits in Antrim Area Hospital are causing deep concern to many people in his constituency as well.

"According to reports there were 18 people waiting on trolleys on Sunday and some of them could not get into a bed for 12 hours.

"In fact, staff were telling people that there were no emergency beds anywhere in the Northern Trust area.

"This is the same Trust that was telling us a couple of days ago that Antrim could cope with the closure of facilities at Magherafelt and Whiteabbey," he commented.

The Northern Health Trust again said it expected that Antrim would be able to handle the increased number of patients. One of the reasons for the changes is to concentrate staff at Antrim and Causeway hospitals to improve the care given in both.

Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein MLA for Mid-Ulster, said: "I think this sudden move is a disgrace and I think that the minister has abandoned the people of Mid Ulster and stripped them of their services."

See: Worse To Come As Antrim Patients Wait

(BMcC/GK)