It is a total outrage that the accident and emergency department is going to close in Belfast City Hospital.

This city has grown in size, as has the population of this city  in the last five years. Closing this valuable service in our city is going to put pressure on our other two hospitals and a lot of pressure on the staff of both the Royal and the Mater hospitals. This is a shame and an outright attack on the National Health Service.

It is time to dump Heath Minister Edwin Poots and  not the Accident and Emergency Department in Belfast City Hospital. We must stand united to safeguard our Health Service, defend our public services and stop the cuts.

Seán óg garland,

Belfast 17