The Southern trust has played down reports that proposed changes to Daisy Hill Hospital could see the loss of over 100 beds.
It followed a presentation to staff last week setting out the various options for dealing with staffing shortages at the hospital.
One slide from the presentation, seen by the Irish News, listed possible options to sustain a cohort of medical overnight beds.
This included creating an Emergency Department Short Stay Unit, which would result in a 16-bed reduction.
Other options were to enhance the Acute Care at Home Service (18 bed reduction), expansion of direct assessment unit into a full ambulatory medical unit (eight bed reduction), differentiated take redirected to Craigavon Area Hospital (32 bed reduction) as well as a home rehab service (30 bed reduction).
Taken together, this would mean a reduction of 104 beds.
The Southern trust has now clarified the figure was taken “from one slide of a much broader presentation shared with staff last week.”
A spokesperson said the presentation had outlined “a number of possible options offering alternatives to inpatient medical admissions.”
They added: “We continue to develop and refine these suggested proposals as we receive more information and consider feedback from staff and regional health and social care colleagues.”
On Wednesday, hundreds attended a public meeting organised by the Daisy hill Emergency Surgery SOS campaign group.
It followed a recent announcement that stroke services were being moved to Craigavon Area Hospital.
The Southern trust said the interim measure was necessary because of difficulties in securing senior consultant cover, and would remain in place over the summer until a permanent solution was found.
SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said radical action was required to save Daisy Hill.
"When the Executive is restored, Sinn Féin will have the first pick of any ministry they want," he said.
He urged the party to choose health to reverse what he described as "the assault on Daisy Hill."
On Thursday, the Southern trust’s Chief Executive Dr Maria O’Kane said it was “a very difficult time for staff” but was encouraged by their enthusiasm to modernise and improve services for patients.
With “limited substantive medical consultants” working at Daisy Hill from July, she said this could further impact the number of doctors allocated in August.
“Our initial focus is to immediately stabilise staffing for the summer months in anticipation of a more permanent solution,” she said.
In a statement on Friday the Southern trust said: “The regional and international shortage of medical staff is a long-standing and growing problem, not unique to Daisy Hill Hospital or the wider Southern trust.
"Senior Managers in our trust and in trusts across Northern Ireland are working extremely hard every day and are facing the same enormous and growing challenges including: medical staffing shortages, massive waiting lists, budget cuts, growing demand for services, increasing numbers of older people with complex care needs."
The statement added that "ensuring patient safety and supporting our staff will always be our absolute priorities"...working in difficult circumstances.
"It is clear that without transformation of Health and Social care services across Northern Ireland; staffing shortages will be exacerbated, pressures on staff will continue to increase and services will further deteriorate in all our hospitals.”
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