Debate contribution: Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment

Debate contribution by Mrs Sinéad Ennis on 1 April 2025.

MLA: Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 1 April 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4876617

Text

I thank the Members who tabled the motion today. It is very important. Healthcare is the foundation of any strong community. It is what we rely on in our most vulnerable moments, and it ensures the well-being of our families, friends and neighbours. I want to use this opportunity to talk about two hospitals that are vital to the Southern Trust region: Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital. Both play a crucial role in delivering life-saving care, and both are in urgent need of investment. I appreciate and welcome that the mover of the motion referenced Daisy Hill in her opening remarks. Craigavon Area Hospital serves as a major hub for acute services and deals with thousands of patients every year, but increasing demand has put immense pressure on its resources. Investment in Craigavon means better facilities, more beds and the ability to deliver faster, more effective treatment. It means ensuring that those who need critical care do not face delays due to overcrowding and outdated infrastructure. At the same time, Daisy Hill Hospital is an essential part of our healthcare network, and I would not be representing the views of my constituents if I did not take this opportunity to also speak up for Daisy Hill. Daisy Hill Hospital provides vital services to people across Newry, south Armagh, south Down, north Louth and even into Monaghan and other border areas, and it must not be overlooked. Investment here means strengthening emergency services, improving access to specialist care and ensuring that people in the Southern Trust region do not have to travel miles for essential treatment. There is, and has been, a concern — it is not unfounded — across south Down and Newry and Armagh that Daisy Hill Hospital is the poor relation in this equation. However, there is undoubtedly a need for Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area Hospital to work more closely together. While my efforts will always primarily be focused on promoting the interests of Daisy Hill Hospital, I also recognise that there is a need to promote and enhance the hospital estate across the Southern Trust. In recent months, we have seen concern among patients and staff about the provision of safe and secure maternity and obstetrics cover at Daisy Hill. What we cannot stand over and what cannot continue is the constant nervousness around services at Daisy Hill. Proactive investment and strategic planning are essential to preventing a managed collapse of hospital services and ensuring sustainable, high-quality patient care. This does not have to be some sort of Sophie's choice. It is not an either/or decision. Investing in both Craigavon and Daisy Hill is about securing the future of healthcare in our eastern corridor region. It is about ensuring that, no matter where you live, you have access to high-quality medical care when you need it most. It is about supporting the incredible doctors, nurses and hospital staff who work tirelessly at Daisy Hill and Craigavon to keep us all healthy. If we fail to act now, we risk longer waiting times, staff burnout and patients being turned away, but, if we invest wisely, we can create a healthcare system that is fit for the future, meets the needs of our growing population and gives every person the best possible chance at life. Therefore, I support the call for investment in Craigavon, but we must also see proper investment in Daisy Hill. By investing in both hospitals, we are investing in the health and future of our entire community, right across the Southern Trust area and beyond.

593 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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