Debate contribution: Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Chambers on 24 February 2026.

MLA: Mr Alan Chambers
Party at the time: Ulster Unionist Party
Date: 24 February 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5404686

Text

I welcome the opportunity to make a few brief remarks on the LCM. The process has been very quick, and, as the Chair of the Committee explained, the Committee agreed not to take a position on the LCM due to insufficient time to scrutinise it. The Minister referred to that and apologised. I understand that the delay was largely with the time that it took to secure Executive approval rather than with any fault of the Minister or his Department. In my view, the legislation represents not just the right thing to do; it is fundamentally the right initiative for Northern Ireland to be a part of. How many times do we, as MLAs, stand up in the Chamber and say, "We need to do more to support our own staff coming forward"? The Bill and, hopefully, our consent to it will at last give our own, domestically produced and trained staff some priority access to crucial training places. Whilst the health service right across the United Kingdom has long relied and will continue to rely largely on our international workforce, to whom we are absolutely indebted, we cannot ignore the fact that we are also fortunate to have a substantial pool of appointable doctors who are already available within the NHS. They are staff who are much more likely to work in the NHS for longer. It is a similar concept to the idea that our own Health Minister has already tasked officials with exploring: ways to financially reward students who then commit to working within the health service. If Northern Ireland were excluded from the arrangements or chose not to give consent, it would face an invidious choice: accept increased competition for limited training places or withdraw from national recruitment altogether, neither of which would be good for local staff or local patients. That is why I and my party are very happy to support the LCM.

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

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