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Mr Mike Nesbitt: Assembly records
All of Mr Mike Nesbitt’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I recognise the point that the Member is making. If we had a blank map and we were starting from scratch, absolutely, but we are in a position where the pressures are, to some extent, unprecedented. If we do not spend the money on those independent services, people do not get seen in a timely manner, or they are seen…
Hopefully, we are through the winter, but the Member will be aware that, very early on, I stopped talking about winter pressures and described them as additional winter pressures, because the pressures are on, 24/7/365. I am confident that we are moving in the right direction. I am not satisfied that we are moving as…
As it happens, I was at Windsor Avenue this morning at a conference that was being run by the Royal College of Nursing. The relationship there is good, but I go back to the point that I understand the pressures and the moral injury better than I can provide a proper solution to it, because it requires more funding and…
I agree with the Member. I do not think that there is anybody working in Health and Social Care who does not want to deliver the best for their patients and service users. However, the Member will know that such are the pressures, particularly in emergency departments. Nurses, doctors and ambulance crews are trained…
First of all, I extend my sympathies to Mr Darragh's family. That is a very regrettable loss of life. I hope to see improvements in hospital flow that are expected to help restore the capacity of the Ambulance Service. The future operational approach to responding to category 2 calls in the final hour of shift will…
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) continues to engage constructively with recognised staff-side representatives regarding the current industrial action and associated action short of strike (ASOS). Since November 2023, three of the four recognised trade unions in NIAS have been undertaking ASOS. The issues…
I assure the Member that I have sat down and listened to the community pharmacy people about their concerns. I have been told that provision has increased by almost £60 million since April 2018. We are coming towards the end of this financial year. We started with a £600 million shortfall in the Department. I said…
I quoted the figure of £20 million to Mr McGuigan. Removing clawback arrangements would allow in excess of £20 million to be retained by community pharmacies. The actual annual margin achieved by community pharmacies in Northern Ireland has significantly exceeded the guaranteed level, and, when that is coupled with…
I can certainly make that commitment, because I have met Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland directly on a number of occasions. I believe that I have a relationship with Gerard Greene. I am interested in the clawback that the Chair of the Health Committee mentioned. My Department has worked with the Scottish…
I am a daily user of medication, so I can say anecdotally, from speaking to my own community pharmacist, that I have been made aware that pharmacists are feeling particular pressures from price points at the moment. It is fair to say that we have regular negotiations and conversations with Community Pharmacy NI but…
I recognise the vital work that community pharmacy teams do each day to ensure the safe supply of medicines to patients. That is reflected in the considerable investment that my Department has made over recent years, the aim of which has been to strengthen the role of the sector in primary care, including making…
As part of the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland, a five-year evaluation of the impact of MUP was commissioned to inform future decisions by the Scottish Government. The evaluation sets out strong evidence that MUP reduced deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption in Scotland, compared…
I believe very firmly that the legislation would have a significant impact on the 30% of behaviours that are part of the formula for tackling health inequalities. I am not in the business of trying to censor a Member's expressing himself or herself with their own language in their reaction to the position that we find…
The Member will know that the business of the Executive is confidential. However, I think that it is very much in the public domain that my party, the Ulster Unionists, supports minimum unit pricing. I think that it is in the public domain that Sinn Féin supports minimum unit pricing, that the Alliance Party supports…
The Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 places an onus on my Department to introduce legislation in Northern Ireland to set a minimum price for the sale or supply of intoxicating liquor and to prohibit its sale or supply below that price. If it has not been reasonably…
I take no pleasure in doing what I am doing, because I understand that I am going against the will of the House as expressed in the 2022 Act. There is one specific question that I want to answer, and it is about whether there may be further exemptions during the deferral period. To be clear with regard to the division…
I beg to move Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to open the debate. At the outset, I thank my Executive colleagues for their support in bringing the Bill to the Assembly. I also thank the Health Committee. While I readily accept that many colleagues in the House will be disappointed by the Bill, the…
I thank the Chair of the Health Committee for outlining their considerations. I also note Mr Carroll's objection not only to the Bill but to accelerated passage. I made clear in my opening remarks the actions that I took to try to avoid accelerated passage. I tried to get earlier agreement from the Executive, but we…
I beg to move Deputy Speaker, thank you. I am grateful for the opportunity. I seek agreement to progress by accelerated passage the Hospital Parking Charges Bill, which will postpone the ban on charging money for parking vehicles in hospital car parks, as contained in the Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern…