Four rural health groups demand executive-wide review of hospital cut proposals

Representatives of four pressure groups—Save Our Acute Services in Enniskillen, Causeway Hospital SOS in Coleraine, SOS Daisy Hill in Newry and Down Community Health Committee in Downpatrick—have united in a letter addressed to Health Minister Robbie Butler. The letter contends that proposed cuts to rural hospital services will lengthen emergency response journeys, increase transport burdens, and exacerbate rural isolation, affecting families and community viability.

Signatories demand that the entire Northern Ireland Executive, not just the health ministry, evaluate the cross-departmental impacts in line with the Northern Ireland Act and Ministerial Code. They warn that losing one service after another forces patients to travel farther, imposing financial and safety costs. The joint action comes as Daisy Hill Hospital announced a temporary suspension of maternity services from November 23 because of staff shortages, prompting a large protest scheduled for Sunday. The Department of Health responded that all decisions aim for safety and optimal outcomes, and noted that Minister Butler has requested a review of guidance on service withdrawals in rural areas.