Debate contribution: Health Service Transformation: Funding

Debate contribution by Mrs Linda Dillon on 17 September 2024.

MLA

Mrs Linda Dillon

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

17 September 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Health Service Transformation: Funding

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4537014

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I support the motion and the amendment on the deepening crisis in our health service. It is not just about numbers; it is about real lives, real communities and the future of healthcare across the North. The cracks in our system are most visible in social care, which forms the foundation of our healthcare services. Each and every one of the chief executives, when they gave evidence to the Health Committee, said that that was their single greatest challenge. Without a well-supported social care system, our entire health service will continue to buckle under pressure. Carers who tirelessly provide essential services for our elderly, disabled and vulnerable citizens face increasing challenges. They are undervalued, underfunded and, too often, undersupported as they carry the weight of a broken system on their shoulders. As we all know, many of those carers are women, and women make up the backbone of paid and unpaid care in our community. It is high time that those women and, indeed, all carers are fairly compensated and that their work is recognised and respected. The situation in rural areas such as those in my constituency of Mid Ulster is even more dire. The inequality of healthcare access between urban and rural areas is stark. People living in rural communities face a healthcare system that is harder to access, with fewer resources and longer waiting times. The distance to services and lack of transport options create additional barriers, leaving rural residents to struggle for the care that they deserve. That inequality is unacceptable. Everyone, regardless of where they live, must have equal access to healthcare services. Ensuring that we have infrastructure and accessibility needs to be part of the transformation process. However, solutions are available if we begin supporting, funding and using our primary care sector, GPs, community pharmacists, specialist nurses and, vitally, our community and voluntary sector, which is already underfunded and has its funding consistently reduced. Many of the answers and solutions are being pointed out to us every day, as Nuala McAllister mentioned. The Minister needs to work with clinicians, staff and, importantly, communities in order to implement the solutions. There is also a need to seriously look at real and meaningful cross-border healthcare collaboration with the rest of Ireland. I do not mean having people head on buses to private hospitals; I mean serious cross-border collaboration. Sharing specialised services and creating joint facilities along the border could significantly reduce travel times for rural patients, alleviating the burden on local services while increasing access to much-needed care. We know that that is a possible solution for residents in places like Fermanagh and Derry and those right along our Western Trust area. Initiatives like the Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT) programme have already proven how successful collaboration can be. Expanding such partnerships is not just an option; it is a necessity if we are serious about addressing the healthcare crisis, especially for our rural communities. In the context of social care, cross-border cooperation is equally critical. Many of our carers live and work in isolated areas and often lack the support that they need. By working across the border, we can ensure that carers receive better training, resources and support. Carers are the lifeblood of our healthcare system, and we must do everything that we can to support them. We have a blueprint for change in the Bengoa report, 'Systems, Not Structures'. The report provides us with a clear road map for making our health service more effective, efficient and responsive to the needs of our people. However, as the Member said, you cannot do that without funding. You cannot take a car down the road without petrol. We all understand that transformation cannot happen without proper funding. The stabilisation package that was agreed last year was a step in the right direction, but it falls short of what is needed. We need a long-term financial commitment from the British Government to fund us to secure the future of healthcare in the North. As I have said before, the British Government must step up and properly fund the North, because if we do not act now and secure a long-term financial settlement from the British Treasury, we will see our healthcare system continue to deteriorate. The British Government must recognise their responsibility to ensure that the North's health service is adequately funded. We are not asking for special treatment. We were underfunded by the previous British Government, and the British Treasury has now acknowledged and accepted that. We cannot expect healthcare professionals to continue working in hospitals that are understaffed and do not have the proper facilities and resources.

The issue can be addressed only with proper funding. We understand and accept that.

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

Assessment

Not qualifying

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:10 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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