Council will monitor progress at Hospital

The decision came after a workshop was held on March 26 between council members and representatives of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust namely Dr Olivia Dornan, Mrs Karen Kerr and Mrs Margaret Mulholland.

Offering feedback of this meeting at last Monday night’s full Council, it was apparent that members were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss issues at the local hospital with those directly involved.

The Council’s Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy gave a brief outline of what was discussed at the workshop, as representatives addressed the issues raised by members. This also included an apology for the level of overall service provided at the hospital.

Councillors heard that a number of changes are being implemented at the hospital to improve standards, this includes the appointment of forty nurses, set to take up positions at the hospital.

The hospital is also undergoing some re-development work including an extension to include 24 new beds, due for completion in December of this year. There is also an overhaul in the pathways provided to patients to ensure they are getting the appropriate care.

At the workshop it was agreed that members would monitor the progress of the hospital as these changes take place.

SDLP Councillor Declan O’Loan welcomed the meeting, he said: “I thought it was a very good meeting and I was impressed by the senior staff from the Trust who spoke to us. It is clear that there are serious problems in Antrim Hospital’s A+E department.

“The measures being taken, including the provision of future beds, will make a big difference. These issues will only be resolved by addressing the amount of people who enter the hospital and the type of person who comes through the doors.”

Councillor Beth Adger told the members that she was pleased to hear the news of more nurses being employed, she said: “I also attended the workshop, the nurse appointments are very good news. There has been a lot of bad press about the efforts of nurses and doctors, who are doing their best to give the best service.

“We should show them some praise for the work they do. If anyone has ever attended the hospital they will know that the staff are excellent.

“They are over-worked and the extra staff will hopefully help them out.”

The TUV’s Councillor Davy Tweed, outlined that the problem is not the performance of the staff but too many patients being sent to hospitals when a trip to a local pharmacy would suffice.

He said: “It was a very good meeting. I would say that very few people run nurses down as nurses and doctors are doing a tremendous job.

“I class this as an operational problem. The beds were put there because they were needed because there was a shortfall. This a bigger issue and the people from the Trust agree.

“The whole system needs to be looked at so people go to pharmacies and not clog up hospital waiting rooms. I think province wide the government needs to look at the people clogging up doctor’s surgeries and hospitals.”

His colleague Councillor Roy Gillespie said: “It was a worth while meeting. It is apparent what they are trying to do and I am glad we are monitoring the situation.”

Meanwhile Sinn Fein Councillor Monica Digney outlined that nobody is blaming the nursing staff, she said: “This was never about blaming nursing staff, this was about the shortage of beds and consultants. It was nursing staff who approached me, they know that they were inundated with patients. They knew they didn’t have enough beds and what they do is incredible.

“There are people who need to be educated about when it is the right time to go to a hospital, but when they are told they need a hospital bed there needs to be one there.”

Councillor Tommy Nicholl explained that Cllr Adger wasn’t accusing any member of blaming nurses and that monitoring the hospital is a good idea.

He said: “In all walks of life there will always be moaning minnies, we all could criticize what happens at the hospital. I think it is important that we look ahead and monitor the hospital from here for the benefit of the people we represent here in Ballymena.

Mr Nicholl suggested that members are shown figures of the investment the hospital has received compared to other hospitals in Northern Ireland, he added: “I would like to see the investment in Antrim Area Hospital compared to what money has been invested in other hospitals in Northern Ireland. It would be interesting to see where the money has gone.

“I am of the opinion that Antrim Area Hospital has been under-invested in the past ten years. I would request that we ask the department for what the figures are.”

Sinn Fein Councillor Paul Maguire agreed with this suggestion.

Former Mayor of Ballymena, Alderman Maurice Mills said he believed that the council were playing an important role in the future of the hospital, he said: “It is down to the work of this council that the Trust is making these changes. I believe that we have sewn the seeds for future engagement. They listened and were open to constructive suggestions.”