Major community rally calling for adequate hospital services to be held in Co Derry
A major community rally calling for adequate hospital services will be held in County Derry this weekend.
The outdoor event, which has been organised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital in conjunction with UNISON, will take place at Coleraine Town Hall on Saturday, October 24 at 1pm.
The urgent mobilisation builds directly on a landmark joint campaign launched this week by five hospital groups across the North.
The campaign week began yesterday (Monday, October 19) and will end on Monday, October 26.
Challenging the Executive to treat rural health as a shared responsibility, a historic joint letter was issued yesterday (Monday), to every Minister by Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) – SWAH, Causeway Hospital SOS Campaign, Save Our Services – Daisy Hill and Down Community Health Committee. The coalition is demanding collective Executive scrutiny, independent rural-needs assessments and a stop to treating the stripping of rural hospital services as isolated operational matters.
Amid mounting distress over the state of local healthcare, all national and local political representatives, trade unions, community groups, schools and sports organisations are being asked to join this weekend’s rally in Coleraine.
Expressing the deep emotion, urgency and unwavering resolve felt by the community, SOS Causeway Hospital Chairperson Gemma Brolly said: "We are proud to hold this rally in conjunction with UNISON. We are deeply concerned for our staff and patients.
“We have taken the resolute decision to hold this community rally for a number of vital reasons. First, to ensure the Trust and the Department understand we mean business—we expect transparency and a truly independent review with evidence-based decisions. Nothing less will do.
“Second, to join and support the wider hospital campaign this week - building on our joint letter with SWAH, Daisy Hill and Down to all Executive Ministers, with SOS Altnagelvin holding a public meeting on Wednesday, SOS Causeway Hospital rallying on Saturday and SOS Daisy Hill rallying to save maternity services on Sunday, finishing with a joint SOS Rural Hospitals NI protest at Stormont on Monday at 12pm where we will see which political representatives prioritise the urgent issues raised in that week prior.”
Ms Brolly continued: “Most importantly, we rally for our people. For staff and patients. We are deeply distressed at the stories coming into us. People deserve better and we will not back down and settle for less than people deserve.
“We call upon all community groups, schools, sports organisations, every single person to bring feet on the street and stand up to maintain adequate hospital services in Causeway. Stand with us,” she added.