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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 flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. I thank Carál Ní Chuilín for bringing forward this matter. It is important, particularly for that geographical area. She challenged me about the 81 vacancies and 60 being put in place. I am going to try to meet it, but we might need to speak off-line because I might not be…
Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I thank the mover of the motion and the mover of the amendment. I understand the frustration that many have expressed regarding the pace of reform in our social care system since 'Power to People' was published…
Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I begin by recognising the need for immediate and sustained action — action — to protect and support vulnerable children and young people. I also acknowledge, as many Members have done, the excellent work of Professor Ray Jones…
With your indulgence, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, before I move to address the substantive issue, I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate, on behalf of the entire health service, the previous apology to all those who have been so badly let down. Whilst the independent neurology inquiry revealed some deeply…
I thank the Member. No: I did not consider withdrawing the consultation. Let me be clear: at the moment, we have the protections of the Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967, which is all well and good if we are dealing with a named infectious disease. Beyond that, we do not have any protections, so, whether the…
The Member will be aware that waiting lists are just terrible. It is easy to say that they are the worst in the UK, but we have to remember that the statistics reflect people who are in pain, who are suffering and who need help. The fact is that, given the budgetary constraints, what we are doing is trying to…
I thank the Member for his question and acknowledge his interest in that broad area. I think that I said before that it is my intention to introduce a regional service for breast cancer. The objective is to allow each and every individual to go online and book a screening: they can book the first available one,…
Yes, the fellowship scheme is an important scheme that is designed to support recently qualified GPs in the crucial early stages of their careers. Fellowships offer young GPs an opportunity to transition from a training environment to an independent practice by providing them with a supportive workplace and…
I thank Mr Crawford for his question. I very much welcome the appointments, which, in the case of Ballymoney Health Centre, take effect this very day. The positive outcome for both practices followed extensive work to identify new GP contractors to take them over. That followed the handing back of contracts by the…
I thank the Member for his question. I very much commit to such a meeting. As with many of the issues that we face as a devolved Executive and Assembly, the answers do not lie with a single Department. In this case, cooperation between Health and Education is critical. I have enjoyed working with officials from the…
I am not aware of the detail on that. I am more than happy to write to the Member. Maybe in his supplementary, the Member will define the areas that he would like me to address.
I am aware of those reports and I am concerned by them. It takes me back over 20 years to my time at Ulster Television when we produced a documentary for the 'Counterpoint' series about a man who had spent time in prison for child sex abuse offences. We discovered that he had got a job with a charity that owned a…
I thank the Member for his question, which, I take it, he intended to be rather topical indeed. To a certain extent, part of this is about legislation — I am trying to get myself to the correct part of the law — but it is also about common sense and what is the right thing to do. Section 5 of the Criminal Law Act…
The GP out-of-hours service is a core element of health and social care provision and of primary care. The service is available from Monday to Friday from 6.00 pm to 8.00 am, as well as for 24 hours at weekends and on public holidays. The majority of patients who contact out-of-hours services across the region do not…
I thank the Member for his question. I believe — the evidence supports this — that Northern Ireland is well provided for in respect of access to community pharmacy services. As of 31 March 2024, there were 511 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland, which was a reduction of 14 — 2·7% — compared with the 12 months…
I thank the Member for his question. I am certainly open to looking at that. My entire ambition as Health Minister is to "shift left", as it is called; in other words, I want to get away from hospital care and as close as possible to community and primary care. That is not just about GP services: pharmacies have a…
I thank the Member. Northern Ireland has its own drug tariff. Following the 2010 judicial review and subsequent consultation on improving arrangements, the then Health Minister decided that the English drug tariff should be used as the basis for reimbursement of medicines supplied, with modifications for Northern…
Earlier this year, my Department increased funding to community pharmacy, bringing its opening position to £147 million this year. That is an increase of £19 million from the 2023-24 financial year. It is also the highest level of funding to date in Northern Ireland and compares favourably with that in the rest of the…
Right. I acknowledge that. Let me correct myself: I think that a majority of elected representatives were against the move. I apologise if I misrepresented you.
I thank the Member for his question. The disappointment and frustration felt by dermatology outpatients is the same as that felt by the many patients who are on long waiting lists. It comes from the failure to secure our bid for £135 million to be ring-fenced to tackle waiting lists. Take new assessments for…
I thank the Member for his follow-up. I supported moving the minor injuries units from Newtownards to the Ulster Hospital on the basis of the clinical evidence that the trust presented at a meeting that I attended as a constituency MLA. Part of the reasoning was that it put the MIU beside the emergency department, the…