Poots Meets Lisburn Council Over A&E Hours

There's to be a showdown of sorts over accident & emergency delivery in Lisburn.

The NI Health Minister Edwin Poots has now said he will meet a delegation from Lisburn City Council to discuss Lagan Valley Hospital's A&E Department.

Speaking today, the Minister (pictured) said: "I welcome the opportunity to meet with members from Lisburn City Council to discuss the reduction in opening hours.

"I understand the concerns this has raised not only in this Trust area, but also across the health sector.

"This is an issue which is fundamentally about considerations of safety and quality. We all want to ensure that the best possible services are available to patients," said the locally based politician.

He went on to claim that the changes at the Lagan Valley Hospital are an "interim measure aimed at securing a safe and effective emergency service".

"There has been and will continue to be substantial collaborative working between the South Eastern Trust, the Health and Social Care Board (HSC Board), the Public Health Agency, other Trusts, Local Commissioning Groups and the NI Ambulance Service," the DUP MLA and Executive Minister explained.

The Lagan Valley MLA continued: "The position will be kept under close review by the Trust. Longer-term changes will be subject to full public consultation.

"This does not mean that the review of the longer term plans for Lagan Valley will be suspended - it remains the position that the Trust and the HSC Board will be giving careful consideration to a wide range of options for the future of emergency care at Lagan Valley," he said.

"I have asked to be kept closely informed of developments."

Minister Poots is very much a Lisburn man, as one of three DUP MLAs for Lagan Valley.

He was also educated at the Wallace High School, Lisburn, and then Greenmount Agricultural College nearby and is a farmer by career and served on Lisburn City Council.

Earlier this week, there was turmoil over the daily 8pm closure of the Lisburn A&E facility with increasing calls for a meeting with the MLA and Health Minister from local councillors and the city Mayor.

Also, in Belfast, the campaign to fight proposed complete closure of the A&E at Belfast City Hospital also got underway this week, with protests against the NI Health Minister Edwin Poots who said that the Lisburn Road A&E is likely to shut - again due to a shortage of staff.

See: Battle To Save A&Es Gets Underway

(BMcC/GK)