Debate contribution: Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Robinson on 1 April 2025.

MLA: Mr Alan Robinson
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 1 April 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Craigavon Area Hospital: Redevelopment
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4876687

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. When Members saw in the Order Paper that Alan Robinson, an East Londonderry MLA, was seconding a motion on Craigavon Area Hospital, they may have thought that, given that today is 1 April, it was an April Fool. It is not: I am very pleased to support my colleague from Upper Bann Diane Dodds. On many occasions in the Chamber, we have debated how the health service is under enormous strain, but the infrastructure that supports it must be fit for purpose. It is disappointing that, despite clear evidence of the need for funding for redevelopment projects, allocations remain uneven across health and social care trust areas.
My constituency crosses two trusts: the Western Trust and the Northern Trust. The Northern Trust has received only approximately 9% of capital investment over the past 10 years. Some may say that the Causeway Hospital, which was built at a cost of £55 million in 2002, and the Antrim Area Hospital, which was built in 1994 at a cost of a mere £40 million, are relatively new, but healthcare staff should not have to work in an environment in which space and resources are stretched beyond their limits. None of us wants hard-working staff and patients to continue to face the consequences of ageing facilities that no longer meet modern healthcare standards. It was disappointing to receive a recent departmental briefing that current funding will not allow the progress of new capital investment, that the estimated backlog of maintenance liability is more than £1·4 billion and that, without additional investment, the health estate will continue to deteriorate.
One investment that I would welcome is a new emergency department for Altnagelvin. Our health service was in a different place in 1985, which is when Altnagelvin ED was constructed. It was added to in 2001 to allow for a 50-seat waiting area. It is well documented that that A&E lacks space, with overcrowding not only affecting the patients who are waiting but adversely affecting the hard-working staff. Picture yourself trying to provide skilled healthcare in an environment that can resemble a chaotic army field hospital. I suppose that that is replicated across our Province. I ask the Minister whether any other options to fund the new facility are open to him, as we all want to see healthcare systems and infrastructure that are fit for the 21st century, and we want to see an updated business case for Craigavon Area Hospital, as my colleague Diane Dodds proposed. I will turn to some of the comments. I thank my colleague Diane, who argued the case for Craigavon well, specifically about the master plan, which is 10 years old. She rightly focused on the cost overruns in capital projects that impact on the ability to progress other projects that are needed. Linda Dillon pointed out that Craigavon has been crying out and is in dire need. She cited examples of its poor standards.
Yes, certainly.
I thank the Member for her intervention. I will continue. We welcome the fact that Linda Dillon broadened her comments to include the entire health estate. Eóin Tennyson highlighted various cases that evidence need at Craigavon. He, too, made reference to overruns. That was a common theme today and was mentioned in a number of contributions. Alan Chambers, my colleague on the Health Committee, pointed to what he called the "double standards" of voting for a Budget that, he feels, falls short and then going on to ask for capital investment. That, however, is our job. Colin McGrath spoke of something that he and I agree on: we see promises that are not followed through and strategies that lie on the shelf gathering dust. He said that, if we continue to ignore those, we will only create further problems. He hit the bullseye there. Sinéad Ennis talked about Craigavon being a major hub and about how it is essential for thousands of patients. She said, "Invest wisely": that could be said of all Departments. Jonny Buckley joined the chorus. He talked about the reach and regional importance of Craigavon. He made the case well, and Upper Bann is lucky to have him as MLA. He talked about Craigavon looking like a war scene. I suppose that similar could be said of Altnagelvin's ED, which I mentioned. On a theme that was taken up by others, Nuala McAllister talked about the costs of the health estate spiralling. Those issues are important, and we should never tire of highlighting them in the Chamber, at the Health Committee or in any forum where we get the opportunity to do so. Philip McGuigan, the Chair of the Health Committee, focused on the workforce, equipment and buildings, all of which have been raised consistently in the Chamber over the past year. Diane Forsythe highlighted the amazing staff at Craigavon Area Hospital, which could also be said of our hospital staff throughout the region that we represent. She also focused on how overspends could have been used elsewhere. Justin McNulty supported the motion and called Craigavon Area Hospital a "lifeline hospital". As I have said repeatedly, that could be said of all of our hospitals, including Causeway Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital in my constituency. The Minister said that buildings were important but so is the workforce. In a debate last week in the Chamber, I said that we should never tire of thanking our healthcare workforce, and I thank the Minister for doing just that today. He focused on the importance of climate change when developing and creating new buildings. He spoke about the importance of targeted investment across the health service and cited a number of investments in the 50-year-old Craigavon Area Hospital. We thank him for that. It was positive that, in his contribution, he pointed to the fact that the programme business case has been updated. I am sure that my Upper Bann colleague Diane Dodds, the proposer of the motion, will be pleased to hear that. I am sure that she will keep her focus on the matter in the days, weeks and months ahead.

1,016 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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