MLA Bradley asks if Causeway Hospital surgery proposal will be examined by new Independent Reconfiguration Committee (IRC)
An East Londonderry MLA has said that ‘independence is essential to public confidence’ if a review of surgery provision at Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital is undertaken by a new scrutiny committee.
DUP MLA Maurice Bradley made the comment with reference to the Independent Reconfiguration Committee (IRC).
On September 3, Health Minister Robbie Butler published the outcomes of the ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes’ public consultation.
One of the key outcomes of the exercise was the announcement of an independent expert reconfiguration committee to provide advice on future major or controversial proposals for permanent changes to Health and Social Care services.
MLA Bradley has asked the Health Minister to explain what funding has been set aside for the IRC, following a request for further information from the Assembly’s Health Committee.
Mr Bradley said: “Minutes published on 15 October record that the Committee asked the Department of Health to clarify how much money has been allocated to the new scrutiny process.”
Mr Bradley said the question followed the Minister’s statement to the Committee on 24 September that the IRC’s exact costs were not yet known, its professional members would serve voluntarily, and its chair would be paid.
“This request for information does not change the Causeway proposal, and it does not confirm that the proposal will be referred to the IRC,” said MLA Bradley.
"But if the new committee is expected to scrutinise major and complex service changes, the public and the Assembly need to know that it will have the resources to do that work properly.
“I have asked the Minister what amount has been set aside and what it is intended to cover, including the chair, secretariat, member expenses, specialist advice, travel and public engagement.
“I have also asked for the IRC’s terms of reference, budget and expected timetable. If the Causeway proposal is referred, the committee must be able to examine the evidence on staffing, theatre capacity, patient volumes and travel, as well as properly assess alternatives to moving Emergency General Surgery.
“Independence is essential to public confidence. Given the concerns about a perceived bias towards Antrim, I believe no one from the Northern Trust should sit on the IRC if it is considering the Causeway proposal.
"The committee must be seen to assess the evidence impartially and without a conflict of interest.
“The Health Committee has asked the Department for further clarification. I want to know when that response will be provided and whether it will be published. Clear answers will help establish how this process will operate and whether it is equipped to provide meaningful scrutiny,” he concluded.
Health Minister Butler’s announcement about the IRC – which said the committee will bring together independent clinical and public-interest expertise – was made following a visit to Causeway Hospital in September.
He said at the time: “I want to ensure that decisions made are transparent, properly evidenced and clinically justified. It means involving staff, patients and communities meaningfully and early.
"And it means demonstrating not simply that an existing service faces difficulties, but that any proposed alternatives genuinely deliver a safer and more sustainable service for patients.
“It is important to emphasise however, whilst the Committee will advise, it will not decide.”