Daisy Hill Hospital Update

The news comes after it was claimed by a member of staff that four beds in the Coronary Care Unit have been closed temporarily due to the fact that there was no available staff to cover maternity leave.

It has recently been confirmed by the Southern Trust that the Coronary Care Unit and the High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry are to be joined to create a ten bed Critical Care Unit.

The amalgamation will see a reduction in the number of available beds within the new unit compared to the two separate units however it has been reported that the joining of the two units still has not occurred and the four beds have been closed since 27th June 2011. This has inevitably fuelled rumours of concerns at Daisy Hill.

Staff claim that the reason for the closures amount to staffing difficulties and argue that the Trust would have been aware well in advance that maternity leave was due to be taken and therefore cover should have been arranged which would alleviate the need to close any beds.

They see no other reason for the closures other than the fact that the hospital is slowly being downgraded. Whilst patient needs come first, staff are anxious about the security of their jobs. It has been claimed that staff were advised that their jobs are secure however it may not be at Daisy Hill Hospital.

They feel that the focus appears to be on Craigavon Area Hospital which is the other acute hospital in the region, rather than on Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.

The Trust have however strongly refuted the allegations and state that there is no issue with the closures. They state that the beds have been closed simply because there is no need for them at present, which they state follows standard procedures and has occurred in the past.

They claim that the closures have nothing to do with staffing issues and confirm that if and when the beds are needed again they will be reinstated.

The Trust further confirmed that the main priority at Daisy Hill Hospital is providing quality care for all patients. They recognise that the needs of individual patients differ and that they are moving with the times.

They realise that more and more patients can be treated at home, which in most cases is preferable and more comfortable for the patient and inevitably alleviates the need for a stay in hospital and the need for beds.

The Trust state that the amalgamation of the Coronary Care Unit and the High Dependency Unit will provide one specialist unit for those most in need and that they will continue updating and modernising the hospital, as they have done in recent months with the investment of over 500,000 pounds in specialised equipment and facilities.

The debate continues.