Businesses’ in Downpatrick are displaying their support for a fully featured A&E unit at the New Downe Hospital.

Dowpatrick Business Forum Chairperson Pat Cassidy of Cassidy Shoes said that, “Downpatrick Business are supporting the Downe Community Health Committee in their on-going campaign to support the Downe Hospital A&E unit.”

“The accident an emergency is the key to the hospital, and the hospital is key to Downpatrick’s public sector jobs campus. We do not accept that it is impossible to recruit staff and thus we should lose the night shift at the new Downe hospital.”

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright, who also has a business on Market Street, said, “All other hospital trusts in Northern Ireland are able to maintain more than one top level accident and emergency unit. It is not credible that the South Eastern Trust alone is incapable of recruiting the right staff.”

“As a member of the Downe Community Health Committee I am delighted at the overwhelming support received from the business community in this campaign and note that this campaign is being taken to Newcastle and Ballynahinch over the next few days,” concluded Cllr Cadogan Enright.