Farmers For Action join protest over future of surgery at Coleraine's Causeway Hospital

Farmers for Action (FFA) said it is organising the meeting to “hold NI National Health top management, the [Health] Minister and the Trusts to account” on the future of the rural hospital.

It comes in the wake of news that the public service union UNISON is to hold a public meeting in Coleraine in August on the future of emergency general surgery at Causeway.

UNISON says it has written to the Minister of Health Mike Nesbitt requesting a meeting to discuss the future of emergency general surgery at Causeway, following the removal of consultant-led maternity birthing services.

A public meeting will be held on Thursday, August 13, at 7.30pm in Coleraine Town Hall. The Health Minister and all local elected representatives will be invited to attend.

Sean McAuley of FFA Steering Committee said: “Recently they moved maternity from Causeway to Antrim Area Hospital and now they are set to remove emergency surgery and all of this must be stopped and reversed!

"Information that FFA and other protesting organisations and Unions have indicated that maternity at Antrim is snowed under and not able to function properly as it used to at Coleraine. In addition, higher than usual absence rates with the maternity services team are emerging."

The Department of Health said it is continuing to “work closely” with both the Northern and Western Health Trusts to assess general surgery services at the Causeway Hospital.