Representatives from SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Committee meet with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to discuss a wide range of issues

Chairman of the SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Committee, Francis Gallagher, said of the meeting: "We asked the Minister to look at how our Health System is administered and to investigate various options to reduce bureaucracy and ensure the maximum level of funding is delivered to medical services rather than administrative expenditure."

Mr Gallagher added how "it is essential that more autonomy is given to local doctors and nurses to manage budgets and maximise the level and quality of medical services for our community."

He further outlined that "there is a need for the Minister’s Office and Dept of Health to liaise more closely with local community representatives to discuss the future of Daisy Hill Hospital."

Ms Sharon Loughran, SOS Daisy Hill Committee Member and local nurse, stated: “I explained to the Minister the urgent need for the Dept of Health to review its plans to centralise services as part of its strategic plan. Recent research conducted by international health consultants including the Nuffield Trust and others is showing that centralisation as a model is not working. Instead of reducing mortality rates, it is showing that mortality rates increase in a centralised health system.

She added: “I explained to the Minister the need for a complete review of the local Trust’s Recruitment Strategy to ensure the number of consultants, doctors, nurses etc are planned and recruited in a timely fashion to ensure the number of medical staff required are available at Daisy Hill Hospital to deliver the level and quality of health services expected by our local community”.

Mrs Mary Luckie, who is also on the committee and a former nurse, explained: “During my service in the Health Service at Daisy Hill Hospital, our delivery of medical services was always difficult but was delivered at a very high level, however over the last few years the reduction in the quality of health services and non adherence to patient dignity has greatly reduced.

"This is not a criticism of health staff but the implementation of a medical service which is dictated by finance has placed so much pressure on our brilliant health service staff and that has driven staff morale to an all time low.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: “The Health Minister visited Daisy Hill Hospital to meet some of the internationally-recruited doctors who have begun working there.

"Minister Nesbitt toured part of the hospital and met a patient receiving services from the Acute Care at Home team.

“During his visit, the Minister also met with two key stakeholder groups: the Daisy Hill Hospital Future Group and the SOS Daisy Hill Hospital Campaign Group. In his meetings with both groups, a wide range of issues was discussed.

"The Minister thanked the groups for their support for Daisy Hill Hospital, reiterated that it has a future as an important part of the hospital network and agreed to give careful consideration to the concerns and proposals raised.”