SOS Causeway Hospital representatives meet with NIAS (Northern Ireland Ambulance Service) Director of Operations and Medical Director.

"We are very aware of the pressure this proposed 'transformation' will place on an already pressured Ambulance Service. We had asked the Northern Trust a number of times if they received an assurance that NIAS could cope with this. We received no assurance and therefore requested a meeting,” stated SOSCauseway Hospital chairperson Gemma Brolly.

Also attending the meeting was Vice Chairperson Adele Tomb who interceded: “It is no secret the huge pressures our paramedics and NIAS team are under so we felt it was important we ourselves engaged with them.  We are indebted to those at NIAS for doing the best they can in a situation where urgent permanent funding is needed to cope with the current situation."

"While the NIAS representatives were heartened the Northern Trust had engaged early and assured us they continue to work together to plan forward, there was no assurance of being able to manage this transformation, that assurance is simply not within their gift. They did reiterate however on a few occasions they continue to highlight the risks transformations such as this bring to the management of staff and of course therein patients," explained Ms Tomb.

Ms Brolly then continued: “On the subject of reconfiguration and public attachment to local hospitals, we assured the Ambulance Service representatives that we as an organisation understand the need to centralise certain services in a bid to improve care across our communities, however we also work closely and take advice with a number of medical staff at all levels and are in agreement that to remove this 'pillar' of Acute Emergency Surgery and also General Surgery will force a domino effect, losing other services such as securing staff for any surgery rota, retaining anaesthetists therefore anaesthetics, etc.

“As we prepare for our Rally this Saturday, we encourage everyone to come along, to speak to their sports organisations, clubs, community groups and Churches about the importance of standing as one community on this mission for a 'Christmas miracle' to retain emergency and general surgery.  The needs of the people of Causeway Coast and Glens are consistently being shelved in favour of centralisation, the 1258 hard copies of consultation responses indicate the level of frustration, we have no idea how many online responses were also made. People are very passionate about the fact that the removal of Emergency Surgery and General Surgery at our local hospital will have a domino effect we cannot control."

The Community Rally will take place beginning at Causeway Hospital at 1pm on Saturday, December 7 and walking to Coleraine Town Hall. For those not able to make the journey, they can meet at Coleraine Town Hall.