Health Minister Robbie Butler has published the outcomes of the Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes public consultation.

A key outcome of this wide-ranging consultation exercise, which generated almost 30,000 responses, is the announcement of an independent expert reconfiguration committee to provide advice on future major or controversial proposals for permanent changes to Health and Social Care services.

The committee will bring together independent clinical and public-interest expertise, the Minister has said.    

It will consider patient safety, service quality, clinical effectiveness and long-term sustainability, and will examine whether the evidence and options supporting a proposal are sufficiently robust and credible.

The Minister made the announcement following a visit to Causeway Hospital.

“Throughout my first two weeks in office I have listened to people and my approach as Minister will therefore be one of reform with scrutiny, change with accountability, and clinical evidence alongside meaningful public involvement,” he said.

“I want to ensure that decisions made are transparent, properly evidenced and clinically justified. It means involving staff, patients and communities meaningfully and early. And it means demonstrating not simply that an existing service faces difficulties, but that any proposed alternatives genuinely deliver a safer and more sustainable service for patients.

“I am therefore announcing today that I will establish a new Independent Reconfiguration Committee. Its advice will be provided directly to me as Minister and, in the interests of transparency and accountability, that advice will be published.

“It is important to emphasise however, whilst the Committee will advise, it will not decide.

“I believe strongly in independent clinical and professional advice, but accountability for major decisions affecting our health service must ultimately rest with the Ministers democratically appointed to make them.”

The Minister also announced that he has asked his officials to review the existing guidance governing the change or withdrawal of services.

“That review will consider how we can strengthen requirements around openness and transparency, the quality of evidence supporting proposed changes, early involvement of staff and communities and proper consideration of rural and equality impacts,” the Minister added.

Referring to the outcome of the consultation, the Minister added: “I have also noted the concerns of the local populations around the categorisation of hospitals. The consultation proposed categorising hospitals as Local Hospitals, Area Hospitals, General Hospitals and Regional Centres.

“It is clear from the responses that these proposals caused significant concern and were not regarded by many people as the neutral planning tool that was originally intended.

“I have therefore asked my Department not to progress any further on this, and especially not until there is a review of the proposed hospital categorisation model and associated terminology.”

During his visit to Causeway Hospital today, the Minister received a tour of the Emergency Department, several wards and met senior management and surgeons. He also had a separate meeting with Save Our Services Causeway Hospital Group.

The Minister said he appreciates the importance of Causeway Hospital in delivering healthcare for the local population.

“This week I had the absolute pleasure of visiting both the South West Acute Hospital and Causeway Hospital. I have spoken directly with staff, listened to their experiences and seen firsthand the hugely important role these hospitals play for the communities they serve,” he said.