The Battle For Bernagh House Begins
AT a public meeting in the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick on the consultation for the ‘Model and Location of Shared Services’ within the health system, a major row has escalated as local health workers, their families and friends, and politicians united to oppose the proposal to move 33 administrative jobs from Bernagh House at the Downshire Hospital to Ballymena.
Read more: The Battle For Bernagh House Begins
New Stores At Downshire
Fears that the Trust’s community equipment store was going to be taken out of the area have finally been proved groundless with the opening of the new store on the Downshire hospital site. The Trust has also appealed for the return of equipment which is no longer required by clients. The new store, which replaces the one at Struell Road, has had significant capital investment and now has adjacent parking to facilitate staff in loading equipment into their cars for transport to clients.
Read more: New Stores At Downshire
Trust relocation could mean 130 mile round trip for workers
“SIMPLY impossible,” were the words from one South Eastern HSC Trust (SET) employee describing the latest proposal to move staff from Downe Hospital to Ballymena, writes Anne O'Hare. At a recent meeting, 34 accounts payable and human resource staff, were told by the SET they could be relocated to Braid Valley Hospital in Ballymena, as early as next September.
Read more: Trust relocation could mean 130 mile round trip for workers
Ritchie Calls For Reassurance Over Down Health Care
SDLP South Down MP and MLA Margaret Ritchie has asked the Health Minister Edwin Poots for reassurance regarding services at the Downe Hospital and cross-border services at Daisyhill Hospital, following the publication of the Compton Review into Health and Social Care.
Speaking in the debate following Edwin Poots’s statement on the Review, she pressed for clarification regarding the safeguarding of services at the two hospitals.
Read more: Ritchie Calls For Reassurance Over Down Health Care
McGrath Calls For Minister To Deliver On Dementia Support
FOLLOWING the publication of the Department of Health’s Dementia Strategy, Down District Council SDLP Councillor Colin McGrath has called on the NI Executive to provide adequate funding for those with dementia and their carers.
Councillor McGrath, the SDLP’s local health spokesperson, said, “The number of people with dementia across the North is ever increasing and given the future demographics of Down District in particular, immense pressure will be put on the already overstretched budgets with our ageing population.
Read more: McGrath On Dementia Support
Ardaluin House Plans Unveiled At Open Evening
AMBITIOUS plans by the newly constituted Ardaluin Regeneration Trust to modernise and renovate Ardaluin House situated on the Bryansford Road, Newcastle, into a 50 bed experiential learning centre have been warmly welcomed by Newcastle Alliance Councillor Patrick Clarke.
Ardaluin Regeneration Trust has recently entered into a partnership agreement with Belfast Activity Centre to support the rescue, restoration and regeneration of Ardaluin House and grounds. The trust aims to provide affordable access to the community and voluntary sectors for youth accommodation and personal development opportunities through outdoor experiential learning.
Read more: Ardaluin House Plans Unveiled At Open Evening
Trust Discusses Downe At Public Meeting
AT a public meeting convened by the Down Community Health Committee (DCHC) held in Owenbeg Bowling Club last Thursday (13th October), South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Chief Executive addressed the meeting accompanied with Seamus McGoran, Director of Hospital Services.
The meeting was called specifically to give the Trust the opportunity to explain what services were in the Downe Hospital and what is planned in the future.
DCHC Chairman Eamonn McGrady said, ”Our organisation is completely behind the promotion of local services at the Downe Hospital for the people of Down and Mourne. We hope there will be more services there in the future. It has been delivered by the power of ordinary people who campaigned.
O’Neill Letter On Council Health Task Force
Letter to the Editor.
Re: Hospital Task Force at Down District Council.
Dear Editor,
This committee was set up by myself when I was chairman of Down Council and with the full support of all the councillors to try to deal with the then pending Ministerial decision to reduce services to Down Hospital.
Council agreed that the Taskforce should pursue the commissioning of a consultant’s report to strengthen our arguments and to examine the possibility of having a judicial review of the minister’s decision. The Taskforce included a seat for every political party then serving on the Council. This model was used so that other stakeholders in the community could join with Councillors on the Taskforce and be part of the information gathering and decision making process that would be necessary.
