Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I absolutely do, and I thank the Member for raising that. During my 10 years here, that has certainly been one of the biggest frustrations for me. Delivery is what this place has to be about. Through that initiative, we have seen tangible delivery that really changes people's lives. Targeted investment is delivering…
I thank the Minister for that update. It is encouraging, and he was appropriately measured in his response. The reduction is indeed encouraging, and it shows what clear focus and targeted additional investment can deliver. Does the Minister agree that, putting the theatrics and distractions of this place aside, that…
I thank the Member for his question. There are clear and encouraging signs that the additional investment is delivering for patients. Waiting times remain unacceptable, however, and, even with the progress made, there is still a considerable distance to travel. Between April and July this year, more than 52,000…
I thank the Member for his persistence on the issue, and he is right to be persistent. I welcome that challenge, because there is a myriad of pressures across the system. We all have our local pressures, so the Member is right to press that issue. I cannot give the Member a definitive date; I can say that there will…
I appreciate the answer, Minister, but it is the same answer as your predecessor gave a number of years ago, so, on that basis, "working at pace" means that you will not have a new funding model in place in this mandate. The services of the hospice will not be funded by good vibes and slogans. Can you give an…
I thank the Member. The Member has been a long-term advocate for the hospices, particularly the Children's Hospice. It remains a priority of mine and of my party. We had our early days meeting at the Children's Hospice, and it was a pleasure to spend time there. It was sombre in some ways, with families navigating…
No. If I were Superman and Batman rolled into one, it would be nice to pull something like that off. I know that the Member is coming from a good place. I have spoken to the permanent secretary about this. We have the ambitious cost-cutting exercise for the next couple of years. A lot of people are pushing that and…
I thank the Minister for his answer. He has answered another question, which relates to the fact that the centralisation of our health service in Belfast is not a feasible answer either. However, before the end of the mandate, could he look at the saving that could be accrued from reducing the five health trusts to,…
I thank the Member for his question. There is not enough time left in the mandate to do that. I am sure that it has rattled about in the heads of most of us over the years, especially if you have worked on the Health Committee. In my time as Minister, I have not been able to think proactively about that. However, when…
I thank the Member for his question. The women's health action plan was one of the things in the first-day brief that I asked for an urgent update on and early sight of. Women's health has been relegated to a subsection of our policy for far too long. I hope that the women's action plan will be ready and out before…
I thank the Member for his question. Without even looking at my notes, let me say that any delay for anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis is too long. I do not think that I am speaking out of shop when I say that just about everybody in the Chamber will know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and has heard…
I thank the Member for his question. We are looking at two phases for the Department. Once the final guidance is published, the Department will review it for legal and policy applicability in Northern Ireland in line with the existing process, which is set out in circular 12/22. In advance of that endorsement, the…
I welcome some of that news, but I want to be careful about some of the language. If it is on a cost-per-case basis and if it means that there are criteria, that means that some people will get access to the drug and that some will not. Where it is available in other places in these islands, there is unrestricted…
I thank the Member for his question. Last Thursday was a good news day for many who are suffering. I have been communicating with a number of women who suffer, and I pay tribute to those who wrote on behalf of those who are suffering. We have to remember that, when you have been diagnosed, as many in this Chamber will…
I thank the Member for his question. The Shared Island Fund was established to support specific projects and initiatives rather than to provide the long-term recurrent funding that would be required to sustain and expand hospital services. It is therefore not an available funding route when considering any future…
To be fair, I understand the fears. I worked in that sector, providing emergency response at a time when it was important to have the right people in the right place at the right time. With regard to any reconfiguration of services, they are all clinician-led and will be subject to a rigorous process between the…
Minister, you cannot use development of elective care overnight centres as an excuse to try to allay the very real concerns that people in Fermanagh have about the removal of emergency general surgery. In your answer, you referred to a figure for elective surgery accounting for 365 days of the year. In my quick…
That is a live topic, not only at the SWAH, evidently. The SWAH remains an important part of the Northern Ireland hospital network, continuing to provide a type-1 emergency department, intensive care, maternity services and a range of elective services. The elective overnight stay centre provides a range of surgical…
Minister, given that it has been four years since emergency general surgery was suspended at the SWAH, staff and patients have, of course, been left in limbo, as you will know and as your predecessor knew. With that in mind, will you finally bring forward a decision on the future of emergency general surgery at the…
I thank the Member for her question. I made an early commitment to visit as many sites as I could, and the SWAH was high up that list. I thank the board and those who showed me what they had during that visit. They were also able to demonstrate some of the pressures, some of which have been well versed in the Chamber.…
Minister, I welcome the significant increase in activity at the South West Acute Hospital and the planned further expansion that you have outlined. I particularly welcome the increased gynae work and the focus on women's health. Do you agree that that demonstrates the important contribution that the SWAH and its…
I thank the Member for her question. The continued expansion of elective overnight stay capacity at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) is a priority for my Department. The Western Health and Social Care Trust recently recruited a new gynaecology consultant, who will deliver two additional inpatient sessions and one…
I thank the Member for that very good question. Whilst we have to be fiscally responsible and value for money has to apply, the reality is that, even in the private system, there is a limit on capacity, theatre time and access to consultants. The cross-border scheme works for some people who live closer to the border…