Sinn Féin councillor Aoife Finnegan has said that rural stroke patients must not be left vulnerable by new stroke treatment proposals as part of plans to stabilise Daisy Hill hospital.
Speaking after a special council meeting with the head of the Southern Trust, the Newry City councillor said:
“While we welcome the new plan to stabilise services at Daisy Hill as a better outcome than those discussed previously, there is a specific part that a number of concerned constituents have contacted me about.
“The proposal says that while anyone who presents at Daisy Hill with stroke symptoms will be treated on site, those who call for an ambulance will be taken to another Hospital.
“Given the importance of treatment within the first hour for stroke patients, I asked them for details on how this plan would work and what efforts are being made to recruit new stroke staff to Daisy Hill.
“We were not satisfied with the answers from the trust this evening and we will keep pressing this issue with them.
“Our ambulance crews have been stretched to breaking point by a decade of Tory cuts, this difficulty to respond quickly has seen real tragic consequences in our community and has left many with concerns about this proposal.
“Ensuring that all stroke patients, particularly rural patients, can be treated in a safe time frame is essential.
“This must be a priority for the Southern Trust now and going forward.”
CRÍOCH/ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 