Debate contribution: Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment
Debate contribution by Mr Alan Chambers on .
- MLA
- Mr Alan Chambers
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 1 April 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4876608
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Investment in the health and social care (HSC) estate is crucial to enhance service delivery and ensure that facilities are adequately equipped to meet the ever-increasing needs of the community. That applies to all the geographical areas of Northern Ireland, but living within the limitations of the resources available means that it is rarely possible to invest evenly. That includes the obvious investment that is required at the overall Craigavon Area Hospital site. There is no question that it is one of the oldest major acute hospital buildings, if not the oldest, in the region. The hospital is in need of a replacement. It is on that note that I am happy to support the broad thrust of the motion, but it would be entirely remiss of me if I did not, once again, highlight the inconsistency and double standards of the messaging on display here today. The signatories to the motion demand that the Minister of Health:
"provide finance for the trust's programme business case for the project in the next financial year."
They must be aware that the Minister's hands are somewhat tied in delivering that ask. The capital budget that they voted for, despite the warnings from not only the Minister but the broader HSC family, failed to contain the necessary allocation. Although I am happy to support the motion in the hope that further progress will be delivered at Craigavon, I once again ask that MLAs, instead of attempting to cast blame elsewhere, consider whether they, by their actions, may have contributed to the problem.
259 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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