Final report from Daisy Hill Hospital Expert Panel

25th April 2024

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the work of the Daisy Hill Hospital Expert Panel as it has submitted its final report.

The Expert Panel was established last summer to work with the Trust on the implementation of the stabilisation plans for acute inpatient medical services at the hospital.

Chaired by Independent Healthcare Advisor, Mairead McAlinden, the panel of independent clinical and involvement advisors have worked with Trust senior leadership and clinical representatives to inform and assess progress on the stability plan and make recommendations for future development.

In its final report, the Panel outlined the findings of their review

• The stability of the medical workforce in General Medicine has improved over the last 6 months, bolstered by doctors from the Trust’s international recruitment initiative. However this needs relentless attention and ongoing development.
• The changes in the delivery of Acute Medicine at Daisy Hill is improving the timeliness of clinical decisions and the developments in ED and in the Ambulatory Unit on Level 3 are reducing the need for hospital admission.
• The role of the current High Dependency Unit was reviewed, drawing on clinical evidence, expert advice and taking the views of the highly expert nursing staff who work in this Unit. The Panel has recommended maintaining this area in its current location and continuing to provide these staff with Critical Care training to provide a defined role as an Enhanced Care Unit.
• While recognising the increased number of patients being treated at Daisy Hill’s Regional Elective Overnight Surgical Centre, one of the three such Centres in Northern Ireland, the Panel encouraged expansion at pace in the delivery of paediatrics and other surgical specialties.
• The significant impact of the new mobile MRI scanner at Daisy Hill, helping to improve timeliness and safety of clinical decision making on site by providing on-site access to this important diagnostic tool and reducing the need for patient transfers to Craigavon Hospital.
• The need for a cross Trust model of specialist care for Cardiology, Respiratory, Diabetes & Endocrine and Gastroenterology, with specialty teams covering both Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals.

Thanking the Expert Panel for their commitment to this strategic project, Southern Trust Chief Executive, Dr Maria O’Kane said: “The aim of this process has been to find a sustainable way forward for Daisy Hill Hospital, its patients and staff. Ensuring patient safety and supporting our staff have been our priorities.

“We sincerely thank Mairead as Chair and all of the panel members for their expertise, commitment and diligence in finding workable solutions to the challenges that have faced Daisy Hill Hospital.

“Whilst there has been positive progress in stabilising medical staffing and acute inpatient medicine at Daisy Hill, rising demand for services, workforce and finance remain as very serious challenges across the Southern Trust and Health and Social Care regionally.

“We welcome the recommendations from the Expert Panel and look forward to developing this work at Craigavon Area Hospital also, in the next phase of this project, aiming to improve our acute hospital network as a whole.

“The Trust is contributing to the regional hospital configuration blueprint project led by the Department of Health and we have also started the journey of developing our new long term corporate vision and strategy for the organisation. We continue to develop and promote Daisy Hill as a key acute hospital throughout this process.”

-Ends-

Note to editor:

Daisy Hill Hospital Expert Panel established | Southern Health & Social Care Trust (hscni.net)

https://southerntrust.hscni.net/download/694/dhh/17457/daisy-hill-hospital-expert-panel-chairs-report.pdf

The independent Expert Panel Members who worked alongside senior clinical and leadership Trust staff were: