The Southern Trust’s four month consultation process on the relocation of the Gillis House dementia assessment unit from Armagh to Craigavon will end this Friday, October 31.
The Southern Health and Social Services Trust has urged all those who want to make responses to do so before that date.
The Trust says it is proposing the modernisation of in-patient acute and rehabilitation stroke services; the future provision of inpatient non-acute hospital services for older people, and the relocation of the dementia assessment inpatient unit from Armagh.
The relocation of the Gillis Unit, it says, would be to a fit for purpose unit on the Craigavon site, providing beds for rehabilitation for older people and dementia assessment, designed to the highest standards and with specially trained clinical staff.
It says the modernisation of in-patient acute and rehabilitation stroke services, which are currently provided at Lurgan, Loane House, at South Tyrone Hospital, in Dungannon, and Daisy Hill, Newry, and Craigavon Area Hospitals.
The Trust is proposing the development of a ‘hyper-acute’ stroke unit at Craigavon Area Hospital.
In terms of the future provision of inpatient non-acute hospital services for older people, this will particularly affect Lurgan Hospital and Loane House at South Tyrone Hospital.
The Trust is proposing that all in-patient hospital services will be based at Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area Hospitals
Trust Chief Executive Mairead McAlinden said: “The principle behind our proposals is that, regardless of age, everyone has the same right to the expert health care they need. It is our plan that whenever anyone needs health or social care they will be treated in the right place, by the most appropriate person and in a timely and compassionate way.
“Through the development of community services, day hospitals and engagement with local communities many illnesses that were previously treated in hospital can now be managed in the community.
“Increasingly, hospital stays are for a short, acute illness or injury with ongoing specialist care provided outside hospital. Our proposals reflect how health care is changing and we want to be able to maximise the skills and expertise of our staff to meet the challenges of providing care to our local community.”
Full details of the consultation can be found here http://www.southerntrust.hscni.net/about/TYCConsultations2014.htm
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