Debate contribution: Facial Palsy

Debate contribution by Mr Nick Mathison on 21 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Nick Mathison
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 21 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Facial Palsy
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5742225

Text

I thank the Minister for his answer. As this is the first opportunity to do so, I put on record my congratulations to the Minister on his appointment. Minister, you will be aware — I hope that you are aware — that as far back as 2018, the then Health and Social Care Board gave clear assurances to patient advocate Janet Robb, who has worked tirelessly on this issue — I was in the room when those assurances were given — that an in-reach service would be put in place in Northern Ireland. There were clear assurances that, while the huge amount of work that is still required to deliver a fit-for-purpose facial palsy service was ongoing, a clinical partner in Great Britain would be brought in to deliver services for those patients in dire need. Can the Minister outline why no such service has ever been put in place, what he will do to rectify that, and whether he will undertake to meet me and Janet Robb to discuss the whole range of issues that are impacting on facial palsy patients in Northern Ireland?

185 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Part of an exchange

This follow-up belongs to: Oral question AQO 3949/22-27.

Assessment

Not analysed

This is the same MLA’s follow-up within the exchange on their own question. It is analysed together with that question and is not counted separately, so one question is never counted twice.

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