Castlereagh Councillors clash over plan to remove South Belfast out of hours GP service

Castlereagh councillors have clashed over a motion to save an "essential" Belfast out of hours GP service amid claims of "nimbyism" politics holding back health reform.
Alliance and the UUP voted against a proposal for the local authority to lobby Belfast Trust to express concerns over the potential removal of the service at the Knockbreda Wellbeing And Treatment Centre.

However, a majority support in chambers (DUP, Sinn Fein and SDLP) agreed that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) engage in a public consultation and put pressure on the Trust to protect "thousands of people" from ending up with a "second rate service".

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Castlereagh South DUP rep, Brian Higginson brought the motion forward, saying: "I am fully aware of the challenges the Belfast Trust is facing as they plan for future health needs. I believe that it is imperative that any restructuring plans must be clinically led.
"I am concerned the planned removal of GP out of hours service will not deliver better health outcomes for my constituents of South and East Belfast in this council district.
"Many people, elderly, vulnerable and especially families who use this service have contacted me who are opposed to these changes. The current primary care service is not fit for purpose. this has a knock-on effect on hospital services especially in the EDs (emergency departments).
"The Belfast Trust rational for removal of Knockbreda would appear to be driven by budgetary restraints and not the best clinical led service for patients."

He added: "I believe the explanation for the loss of this vital service has not been established by the Belfast Trust and I am concerned the loss of the out of hours GP service will put further pressure on an already overstretched A&E department at the Ulster hospital.

"Bluntly, this proposal is totally unacceptable and I would urge the Trust to look again at your restructuring plan, try to deliver the best service for my constituents and not go down a blind alley that appears cheaper, but in reality becomes a more expensive second rate service.
"This proposal will have major implications on the people I represent. We cannot be under any illusion that this is not a serious matter to be dealt with an will affect thousands of people. Saving this health service is paramount to support the ongoing pressures in an already heavily restrained health service."
A public consultation was launched by Belfast Trust as it admitted it faces “challenges” in maintaining its out of hours provision at its bases on the Crumlin Road and the Knockbreda Health and Wellbeing site in South Belfast with a need to focus on “changes”.
The Trust says it would be “more cost-effective and more efficient to provide the service from one base”.
But Castlereagh East Alliance Alderman, Martin Gregg said: "All parties speak of the need to reform the health service and that we need to take the politics out of the health. And yet when something happens on their own patch they relent. SDLP called on reforms for Daisy Hill hospital to be rolled back and here we have the DUP calling for these changes not to happen.
"Saying that residents in North Belfast can use the EDs, shows a clear misunderstanding of what out of hours GP services and EDs are actually for. This is classic nimbyism (not in my backyard). The public need us to show leadership in terms of reform to our health service arguably more than anything. Alliance is committed to this both in words and deeds. It is vital for all parties to support the HSC (health and social care) transformation agenda.

"Just last week the DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds said we will not make efficiencies if we continue with a system, where we have the most expensive health care in the UK and the worst outcomes. She called on the Health Minister (Mike Nesbitt-UUP) to set out a timeline and proposals for transformation and here we have her own party hindering those very proposals and transformation."

He added: "I recognise that every transition is difficult, but reform will be impossible if every decision made by Trusts in their own backyard is challenged by councillors. It will never be completed if we don't let them start. Reform is the only way we will create the higher quality and more efficient health service that our constituents deserve.
"Next year when the health trusts come to this council chamber and we ask them all the same questions that we ask year after year, they would be well within their rights to point their finger back at this motion and others like it. This motion will only allow for things to get worse."

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