Battle To Save A&Es Gets Underway

The fight is underway to save Belfast City Hospital's Accident and Emergency unit (A&E) from closure.

The Stormont Health Minister is also under pressure to meet with representatives from Lisburn City Council after their A&E services at Lagan Valley hospital were cut - forcing closure at 8pm each night in a reduction in hours being blamed on a lack of junior doctors.

The department will operate from 9am to 8pm, seven days a week, instead of 24 hours.

Despite assurances from the local heath trust who said the cut in cover at A&E is a temporary measure, expected to last just a few months - campaigners are not so sure - despite efforts to recruit staff continuing.

Senior management at the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust met with representatives from Lisburn City Council on Monday night and the SDLP Mayor Brian Heading said: "Questions have to be asked ... we asked the trust and they told us they can't get junior doctors to keep the Accident and Emergency open."

"So therefore, we've got to go above them and ask the people who are training junior doctors are they training enough for the NHS in Northern Ireland?

"If they are not, then we want to know why. That's why we are going to the Minister because this problem has a history," he said.

Mr Heading, who chaired the special summit to discuss the proposals by the Health Minister Edwin Poots to cuts A&E service at the hospital continued: "There are many serious questions that need to be put to the Minister over the proposals for the Lagan Valley.

"Are the Royal and Mater hospitals [in Belfast] up to the mark of accepting the overflow of A&E patients from Lagan Valley Hospital?

"Do they have the staff and facilities to cope with the extra demand?

"There is also a concern regarding the role of junior doctors. We are told that junior doctors are now covered by European Union working directives and it's becoming harder to recruit doctors, hence cuts to our A&E service, how do hospitals in Europe cope with the same problem?" he asked.

"There are too many questions that still remain unanswered if these proposals are to be implemented," he fumed.

In Belfast, the campaign to fight the proposed complete closure of the A&E at Belfast City Hospital also got underway overnight, to protest the NI Health Minister Edwin Poots claim that the A&E is likely to shut - again due to a shortage of staff.

Some residents and health unions held a public meeting on Monday night in south Belfast to protest against the plans with trade union, Nipsa forming the 'Stop the Cuts Coalition' to hear members of the public vow to fight to keep their A&E department open.

SDLP councillor Pat McCarthy has slammed the proposal which would take effect in October and would see residents having to attend the Royal Victoria Hospital in emergencies.

He said: "I am very much opposed to the closure of the City's A&E department - in fact I don't understand the decision at all and would like to know how this conclusion was reached.

"I would say south Belfast residents would have had a lot of trouble accessing the Royal Victoria A&E department the other week with the rioting that took place on Broadway. I have never known a riot like that to take place on the Lisburn Road entrance to the City hospital," he said.

"I don't even know if access to the Royal Victoria - that sits on this flashpoint area - has been taken into consideration?

"We have had sectarian problems with people waiting in Royal Victoria A&E being assaulted by others waiting in the Department - these issues need to be taken into account," he concluded.

(BMcC/GK)