TUV Respond to Potential Closure of A & E at City Hospital
22 August 2011
TUV Response to A&E Closure at Belfast City Hospital
Public Meeting: Monday 22nd August 2011 7.30pm Richview Regeneration Centre
TUV remains deeply concerned about the future of the accident and emergency department at Belfast City Hospital.
The Party’s concerns include:
*The absence of any explanation or rationale for choosing the more utilised City hospital for closure over the Mater Hospital.
* The evident strategy to induce closure by ‘temporary’ measure, we believe the public deserve clarity therefore the Health Minister must come clean as to whether his real intention is to permanently close the City's A & E department.
* The lack of a clear strategy or consideration of the capacity of the Royal and Mater hospitals to treat the patients that use the Belfast City Hospital (over 42,000 last year).
* The result of all A and E departments being located in the West and North Belfast constituencies, with disadvantage to unionist areas.
* How it comes about that when Michael McGimpsey was talking about severe cuts resulting from the DUP/Sinn Fein budget, the DUP was proclaiming there was ample funding, yet now is moving to remove this vital service from South Belfast.
Commenting on tonight’s public meeting a spokesperson stated:
“The TUV welcomes tonight’s public meeting as it affords interested members of the public the opportunity to highlight their opposition and to demand answers from their local representatives. The devolved administration in Northern Ireland was hailed as a great achievement by the architects of the Belfast Agreement because it was said to provide caring, responsive government and an opportunity for the people to hold theirpolitician’s to account. Tonight’s public meeting will test that pledge as it affords local people an excellent opportunity to quiz the governing parties on whether they will close the City Hospital's A and E Department. I
trust that the various party representatives will listen carefully to the campaigners and will honesty state the full motives behind the temporary closure.”
