Debate contribution: Cardiac Surgery Unit: Royal Victoria Hospital

Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on 27 May 2025.

MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

27 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Question for Urgent Oral Answer

Heading

Cardiac Surgery Unit: Royal Victoria Hospital

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4972486

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Member asked two things, starting with whether I will publish the report and lay it in the Library. I intend to do that; absolutely. The Member also asked how it could possibly have gone on for so long. Let me assure the House that that will be a key question when I meet the chair of the Belfast Trust. It is shocking that it was happening, but it is also shocking that it happened over such a long period. On public confidence and being proportionate about the assessment of risk, the Royal Victoria Hospital is the sole provider of cardiac surgery for the whole of Northern Ireland. While the external team have made a number of recommendations to improve safety, to improve processes and, of course, to improve the culture in the unit, they have also deemed that the service is safe to continue. I want to give that assurance to anybody who is about to go for a procedure with that team at the RVH.

I thank the Member for the question. I am not aware of our having, to date, any direct talks with the relevant trade unions. The Member will know that, in this case, the Belfast Trust is the employer of the staff in the cardiac unit. We have seen the trust put in place bespoke support mechanisms for all staff to ensure that they have the opportunity to put forward their views of the challenges that the unit has faced that have been created by this unacceptable behaviour. Any unacceptable behaviour should be dealt with through human resources policies and practices. In the first instance, as I have said to the House, I need to speak to the chair of the Belfast Trust. Following that, I do not rule out engaging with the trade unions and other representatives whose voices need to be heard.

I thank the Member for his question. I believe that the number of cancelled procedures was very low: off the top of my head, I think that it was six. I think that there were reports that it was perhaps over twice that number; as I understand it, that is not the case. I am not aware of any actual direct impact on planned surgery from the report or the fact that there has been a really bad breakdown in relationships amongst senior members of that trust team.

I thank the Member for his question. I have been in post now for 363 days. I have not come across anything like this in my first year, nor have I received reports of anything similar having been carried out previously. It is rare, but it is incredibly important. As somebody who was on a waiting list for a cardiac procedure, I take Mr Donnelly's point that it is a very worrying time. The heart is a very emotive issue, as a lot of health issues are. I can only speak from my own experience. I am glad that I was blissfully unaware of any such issues, because that would have coloured my anticipation of going into the Royal for that procedure.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:37 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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