'Vital that we retain maternity services in Causeway Hospital'

It is absolutely vital that we retain our maternity services in Causeway Hospital which are currently under threat of closure before the summer.

There is massive anger among the community. We need to take to the streets and demand that the decision to strip down this service be reversed.

The Save Causeway Hospital campaign has decided to seek legal advice to ascertain whether the management of the hospital or the civil service have the legal authority to close this vital service in the absence of a Minister for Health.

We will take legal action against the civil servants if it appears that their actions are illegal.

We are very aware of the extreme anxiety being experienced by staff on the frontlines in Causeway Hospital and Antrim Area Hospital. The lack of consultation and engagement with this staff by management is unacceptable.

The nature in which management have completely ignored the huge majority of consultation responses against the closure of Causeway Maternity is also extremely alarming.

Many responses also highlight the urgency to develop recruitment, which we know would be greatly improved if hospital staff were awarded fair pay.

All hospital services are interlinked. We are concerned also for the future of the Intensive Care Unit at Causeway Hospital. If this goes it would mean the end of the Accident and Emergency at the hospital. If this is closed it would put massive pressure on the surrounding hospitals which are already under severe pressure.

This is the most important health infrastructure in our region and our campaign will fight tooth and nail for its protection.

There are 350,000 people on hospital waiting lists currently. This is intolerable. All of the Executive parties signed up to the Bengoa Report which sets out the blueprint for centralisation of hospital services.

Michelle O’Neill, as Minister of Health at that time stated that it would only be implemented with increased Primary Care and Step Down resources and that hospitals would see increased resources to ensure that they could cope.

This is not what happened. We are seeing centralisation without the necessary resources.

This will put lives in danger.

The Save Causeway Hospital Campaign is holding a public protest at 1pm, this Saturday, 13th May at The Diamond in Coleraine.

Please join us and help us prove that the power in people is stronger than the people in power!

Signed Gemma Brolly, Chairperson of Causeway Hospital Campaign