Mary Hinds admitted at her first Board meeting with the Northern Trust the the new A&E will not solve the crisis facing Antrim Hospital.
"Mary Hinds & Paul Cummings sat in their first board meeting within the Northern Health & Social Care Trust on 25/5/2013.
Despite Mary Hinds being the led review in the Rutter & Hinds report into Antrim Hospital In 2012, she failed in her first role of public engagement after she was shielded from answering questions by acting Chairman Bob McCann" Save The Mid
Why is the Acting Chair Not willing To Answer Public Questions, In a Public Setting?
Why was this question so feared by the board of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust?
Question:
"Given the seasonal trends in A&E attendance April was one of the worst Aprils on record, this time last year after the Rutter and Hinds review former Acute Director Valarie Jackson stated at Trust Board when discussing the Rutter & Hinds review that 90% of patients waiting in A&E were waiting as there was no beds to admit them, is that still the case with the the breeches in A&E. We have almost reached the point were the Mid Ulster cannot do anything to aid Antrim Hospital, we seen during the last bad winter in 2011 that Mid Ulster Hospital had its inpatient wards 2 & 3 open and also Thompson house for elderly patients. These wards were able to admit patients from across the Northern Trust for intermediate care, step down care and those who did not require 24 hour consultant cover. While there was still issues at Antrim, inpatients were not as badly affected, now with the loss of these wards Antrim has lost its safety net. If Mid Ulster had still had the ability to admit for this type of care could acute inpatient beds be freed in Antrim allowing it to deal with the more acutely ill patients" Save The Mid