VIDEO: Standing room only during Coleraine Town Hall meeting on future of emergency general surgery at Causeway Hospital

UNISON have organised the public meeting on Thursday, August 13, in Coleraine Town Hall to discuss the future of emergency general surgery at Causeway Hospital.

The union said the meeting was called following the removal of consultant-led maternity services from Coleraine to Antrim Area Hospital.

UNISON Regional Organiser James Large said: “Last night sent a very clear message – the North Coast has had enough of the continued erosion of acute services at Causeway Hospital.

“We heard directly from consultant surgeons and retired physicians, from the public and from political representatives. The strength of feeling in that room was impossible to ignore.

“Mervyn Whyte, NW200 Race Director, warned that the continued erosion of services at Causeway poses a threat to the viability of the North West 200 – the very races that bring more than £20 million annually into our economy. That should be a wake-up call to those making these decisions.

“We also heard the UUP leader make clear his opposition to the removal of Emergency General Surgery. There is a growing and powerful coalition of clinicians, staff, the community and trade unions saying: enough is enough.

“Antrim Area Hospital is already under immense pressure. Causeway should be part of the solution to that pressure, not weakened by removing more services and transferring even greater demand elsewhere. Let Causeway help – don’t reduce its services.

“This is not the end of UNISON’s campaign. We will step it up. We will continue to challenge this proposal and fight to protect Emergency General Surgery and the long-term future of Causeway Hospital.

“We are not opposed to reform. Our health service needs reform. But reform cannot be used as a cover for the continued centralisation and removal of vital acute services from local communities.

“Causeway has already lost major services. Every further removal weakens the hospital and raises legitimate fears about what will be targeted next.

“Our message is simple: stop the erosion of acute services at Causeway. Listen to the clinicians, listen to the staff and listen to the community.

“Causeway must have a future as a strong, sustainable acute hospital – and UNISON will fight to make sure it does.”

Speaking after the meeting in a video posted on the SoS Causeway Hospital’s Gemma Brolly described the meeting as ‘very successful’, cautioning that it was “just a step in the right direction, we have a few steps to go yet.

"It was very positive. We heard from the community and it was important that we heard from the community first before the politicians because that’s something that’s not happening. We feel the community are being completely ignored but we cannot and will not lose hope.

"We are heartened to hear the response from the politicians, particularly from UUP leader Jon Burrows since the Health Minister is within his party.

"He said that he will not support the removal of emergency surgery so we are hoping sense will be seen.”