All of Mr Mike Nesbitt’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
1,210 records match, page 28 of 49.
The Member needs to realise that there is not a limitless pot of money. One million pounds is not fantastic — I accept that — but no money is worse. We have done what we can, avoiding catastrophic cuts elsewhere in health and social care delivery.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26
No, GP practices.
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26
If I have understood the Member correctly, he is asking for indemnity for all GP practices. That is exactly what we are providing.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26
I thank the Member. The money that Mr Swann put in was to improve access to telephony and IT services, and there are IT solutions to achieve what she has asked about. On her concern that this may lead to the collapse of GP practices, I suggest to her that, if we had decided to withhold the £5 million for indemnity and…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26
I thank you, Mr Speaker. When I took up post, the last thing that I was looking for was a fight. I have huge respect for the tens of thousands of wonderful colleagues who deliver excellent healthcare every day in Northern Ireland, including, of course, GPs. In fact, I could argue that a GP saved my life, because it…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: GP GMS Contract 2025-26
I thank the Member for giving way. Let me be absolutely clear: the reason for the timing was the fact that Encompass went live in the final two of the geographically defined trusts on Thursday 8 May. That was the reason.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times
I thank the Member for giving way. I ran out of time, but I should have it made clear that I very much welcome your clarification that any ring-fenced money for cancer treatment should be additional and not come out of the existing budget. Thank you.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times
Principal Deputy Speaker, thank you. I have a lot to get through in 15 minutes. Mr McGuigan kindly referenced the fact that today is International Nurses' Day. I join him in thanking nurses for everything that they do. He was too modest to say that he was at the Stormont estate on Saturday to take part in the Stormont…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cancer Waiting Times
I thank the Member for his comments. The fact is that we do not have the capacity exclusively within our health and social care system to tackle waiting lists in a timely manner. As I said, there has to be a cocktail within which money will go to the independent sector. Is that really good news? No. I would much…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
I thank the Member for his question. As I have just said, our issues and challenges are not particular to us in Northern Ireland, so I do not accept that premise. The waiting list reimbursement scheme is based on the cross-border directive, which allowed patients to be reimbursed for treatment outside Northern…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
Let me stress again that the cross-border scheme represents £10 million out of £215 million. Nearly every MLA in the House has contacted me about reinstating it. I am conscious of the equity issue that, if you cannot afford private healthcare, you are at a disadvantage relative to people who can afford to pay up…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
I thank the Member, who raises an important point. Unfortunately — it is unfortunate, I think — there are no arrangements for patients who have already spent money on private treatment to be reimbursed, because the scheme will be open only to pre-authorised treatments, so we cannot work retrospectively. Like the…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
I thank the Member for her question. The waiting list reimbursement scheme is just one of a number of mechanisms, as I outlined in my remarks. It is part of a cocktail that will involve using HSC capacity and the independent sector to expand. I point out to the Member that the budget for the waiting list reimbursement…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
I thank the Member for the two questions. On the question about the £2·9 million, we hope to treat 16,500 patients with that. It will be for the implementation plan to break that down further, so you should be able to study that by the end of this month. Commissioning new services is not on my agenda, with exception…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
I thank the Member for his question. Encompass is a marvellous system. It needs time to bed in. I know that there is frustration — I feel it too — when some trusts are unable to report the data that we would like to see. On his substantive point, of course, I want to be open and transparent about what we are doing…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
Members may be aware that I have already put on record my analysis of my Department's budget, which is that it represents a quadruple challenge. Those are, first, to spend the money wisely on waiting lists; secondly, to mitigate the damage to other services from the Executive's decision to ring-fence £165 million of…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling Waiting Lists — Investment Plan
Deputy Speaker, thank you. I acknowledge some of the points and questions that have been raised by Members, including Mr Dickson, and will attempt to get as close as I can to providing a definitive answer to them over the next few minutes. I start by taking you back to 2016, when the Department launched the diabetes…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Diabetes Care Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Diabetes Care
Members will be aware that I am not a member of the Catholic Church, but I do not think that that is any barrier to recognising that, for so many in this country, on this island and, indeed, around the world, Pope Francis was both a cherished leader and an inspiration. For the avoidance of doubt, I should not in any…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Pope Francis Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Pope Francis
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. In the 10 months or so that I have been in post, I have found this issue to be unique in that money is not the primary issue. I have been able to find some money. We have not been able to spend it all, and that is indicative of the fact that the issues are primarily buildings, beds and…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Respite Provision: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Respite Provision: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
I am more than happy to share the paper with the Committee at the appropriate time. The paper is coming to me to facilitate a meeting next week; I am not sure which day of the week. I cannot really say, because I have not seen it yet, whether I will just say, "That's perfect. Let's sign it off", or whether I will ask…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cross-border Healthcare Directive Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cross-border Healthcare Directive
I most certainly have, yes. There is £215 million, which is broken into three pots of money. There is £85 million for red-flag cancer and urgent and £80 million to stop the waiting lists growing any larger, effectively. That is £165 million of the £215 million. That is coming out of my budget; it is being ring-fenced…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Cross-border Healthcare Directive Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Cross-border Healthcare Directive
I can say to the Member that, on average, only three to five patients are assessed as being suitable for surgery every year in Northern Ireland. Those referrals are managed through the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust as part of a network arrangement with a specialist provider in Great Britain. The activity…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Facial Palsy Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Facial Palsy
I thank the Member for his question, and I note his contribution to that event in the Long Gallery, which I attended. A new facial palsy regional planning group was established in September 2023. It has developed a pathway for local services for adults and children. It has been a complex process, with multiple…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Facial Palsy Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Facial Palsy
The Member will be aware that tackling health inequalities is a key focus for me; it is something that I have communicated to officials and, more broadly, the Health and Social Care system, and it has been very well received. We are starting with two urban areas as demonstration areas for Live Better, but that is…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Family Practitioners Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Family Practitioners
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