East Londonderry DUP MLA Maurice Bradley has said that the Northern Trust got ‘their eyes opened’ at a listening event in Coleraine on Monday, October 7.

The listening event was held to seek views on proposals to move emergency surgery from Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital to Antrim Area Hospital.

Mr Bradley said: “Several of the speakers, some highly experienced in various aspects of emergency care and consultancy, questioned the sustainability of what was being proposed.

“There is a strong feeling out there that Causeway must retain an emergency surgical team. We see on an almost daily basis, on social media, appeals from Antrim Hospital that their A&E department is at maximum capacity. So how will this hospital cope with patients coming from Causeway for surgery?”

East Londonderry DUP MLA Maurice Bradley said: “It is my view that the Northern Trust have been removing services from Causeway for many years so that they can prop up Antrim." CREDIT DUP

placeholder image — East Londonderry DUP MLA Maurice Bradley said: “It is my view that the Northern Trust have been removing services from Causeway for many years so that they can prop up Antrim." CREDIT DUP

MLA Bradley went on: “It is my view that the Northern Trust have been removing services from Causeway for many years so that they can prop up Antrim. There has been little investment at Causeway in comparison to Antrim Area Hospital.

"In fact most of the services the Trust are proposing at Causeway, including an extra 23 ambulance journeys, and use of private ambulances, come at extra costs. The Trust makes the excuse of attracting and retaining staff at Causeway.

“To a certain degree I would agree as it is difficult to retain staff on the edge of Belfast Trust who can offer, at times, higher wages and better conditions.

“On the other hand stability at Causeway would attract staff who want to work there, bring up their families in easy reach of excellent schools and in a much sought after area to live.

“It is my understanding that the Causeway Trust were fully staffed and were financially in the black before being subsumed into the Northern Trust, where it would appear they have used the finances and the excellent services available at Causeway to shore up their bid to make Antrim Area Hospital a major hospital in competition with the Royal, the City, the Mater and Dundonald.

"Having Antrim Area Hospital subsumed into the Belfast Trust and Causeway linked with the Altnagelvin in the Western Trust would be a starting point. At least then, those of us living in the north west and north Antrim would not be treated as second class citizens in terms of health care."