Member's statement: Facial Palsy
Member's statement by Mr Nick Mathison on .
- MLA
- Mr Nick Mathison
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 25 March 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Facial Palsy
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4866240
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I raise again the issue of the lack of services for patients with facial palsy in Northern Ireland. I am privileged to sponsor an event today in the Long Gallery that has been organised by patient advocate, Janet Robb, and the charity Facial Palsy UK. The event forms part of an awareness-raising campaign by the charity to shine a light on the struggles of patients with facial palsy who are desperately trying to access appropriate healthcare. In 2019, the then Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) made commitments to facial palsy patients that it would develop a pathway in Northern Ireland for treatment and that, crucially, while we waited for it, an in-reach service from GB would be put in place. Six years later, in 2025, the pathway remains under development and no in-reach service has been established, despite my understanding that funding was made available for it. It is unacceptable that facial palsy patients, who need interventions across a range of clinical disciplines, are left on waiting lists indefinitely. They are often then seen by a clinician who does not have the relevant expertise to treat them. Some progress has been made, and I welcome the investment in signposting on nidirect for those patients, the awareness-raising work that has been done with GPs and the work of a small team in the Health Department to map out a pathway. However, anyone living with facial palsy in Northern Ireland needs help now; they cannot be asked to wait any longer. That is why I support the call that will be made at the event today for what are, initially, small, modest asks: access to specialist facial therapy treatments and access to psychological support, which can be vital for those patients. They are very small stepping stones to a better, properly mapped service in Northern Ireland. I welcome the fact that the Health Minister plans to speak at the event today, but I urge him not just to make a speech and leave. I urge him to take the time to engage with the patients who will be there today and to listen to their stories about their journey in trying to access healthcare so that he can understand the impact of not getting the right treatment and how that affects their lives every day. I encourage all Members to attend the event today. This morning, there will be an opportunity to meet local patients and clinicians who want to be part of the solution. From 1.00 pm, there will be formal contributions to set out the group's asks. Those patients have waited years to see even very small progress. I hope that Members from across all parties will engage with them and get behind their campaign for better services.
459 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.96).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.96 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.97 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:07 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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