Council hosts workshop on health care concerns

The Chief Executives of both the Northern Health & Social Care Trust (NHSCT) and the Patient & Client Council (PCC) are to be invited to the event, details of which were firmed up at last Monday night’s monthly borough council meeting in The Braid.

At that gathering letters were tabled from both the NHSCT and PCC in response to recent council correspondence to those bodies raising general concerns of councillors regarding services at the Hospital.

In his reply to Council, NHSCT Chief Executive, Sean Donaghy, acknowledged that there have been significant pressures at Antrim Area Hospital over recent months, adding that winter-related illness had contributed to significantly increased admission levels across Northern Ireland, which resulted in admission delays in many hospitals

He stated: “In that context, whilst there were admission delays at Antrim and Causeway Hospitals during February, the level is much reduced and compares favourably with other hospitals in Northern Ireland, as action plans already in place continue to take effect.

“The Trust is focused on the practical elimination of delayed inpatient admissions. Clearly such delays should not form part of any patient’s admission at such a traumatic time when individuals are at their most vulnerable.

“The Trust has taken a broad range of actions and has secured significant annual investment from the HSC Board to secure sustained improvement.

“I would wish to offer assurance that there are appropriate systems in place to ensure that patients presenting with critical conditions receive the relevant and rapid treatment required, including at times of pressure.

Various initiatives are curently being undertaken to deal with the current situation in the short term and further plans are being developed to address the challenges of insufficient capacity and lack of physical space in the longer term,” Mr Donaghy stated.

Correspondence on the issue from the Patient and Client Council’s Area Manager Jackie McNeill that as “the patient’s voice”, the PCC requires evidence on people’s experiences to present to service providers in a bid to make improvements and encouraged councillors to refer concerned constituents directly to their Northern Area Office, based at Houston’s Mill, Broughshane.