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I thank the Member for the supplementary question. That is perhaps a sixty-four thousand dollar question to which I do not think there is an answer. However, I can tell you that I have been working recently with officials in my Department on how we will develop the all-island model. They are particularly keen to look…
I really welcome that progress, Minister. My substantive supplementary question was going to be about contact with Minister Carroll MacNeill. I welcome the fact that that has taken place and that the issue is being progressed, given that there have been difficulties on both sides. Can you outline any type of timeline…
It is important for any parent going through the terrible experience of losing a child to have the option of a post-mortem examination to help to provide answers about their loss and that, if they decide to proceed, they are fully supported at all stages of the process. Members will be aware that the current service…
I thank the Member for his question, which I will answer much more generally. As we walk through a very complex health and social care system, the number of doctors, nurses and consultants in just about every walk of life is probably not adequate. We need more. Yes, we need buildings. Yes, we need equipment. Yes, we…
The previous point aside, given that one in 32 people here is homeless, does the Minister think that it is adequate to have one inclusion health service nurse in every trust?
I thank the Member for pointing out that disparity. To my mind, that is an inequity and a potential health inequality. Therefore, as I have said previously, it is something that I will wish to tackle. On my watch, we will always, I believe, have five geographic trusts, rightly or wrongly. Those five trusts should…
We heard from the nurses at the all-party group meeting that there is supposed to be one inclusion health service nurse in each health trust area, with more in Belfast because of the pressures there. We heard that the Northern Trust does not have anyone. When will we see a full cohort of those nurses recruited and in…
I thank the Member for his interest. I am absolutely prepared to go away and make a further push. It is important because the services are important. The range of services will be, more or less, as before, but it will be reconfigured differently in the temporary accommodation. At the moment, service delivery is via…
I thank the Minister for that comprehensive answer. As he may be aware, the all-party group on homelessness met nurses from the inclusion health service two weeks ago and heard about their important work with the homeless and vulnerable people who are not registered with a GP. The Minister has covered all the points…
I recognise the vital work that the Belfast Inclusion Health Service offers to individuals who are homeless and need access to timely health and social care provision. I, like many in the Chamber, was shocked by the series of events that necessitated the relocation of that vital service to a new temporary location in…
I have had a conversation with Ema Cubitt about support. The sort of things that she was looking for to get up and running were simple things like a website, business cards and access to information and research. I have subsequently had a report back that she is satisfied with the level of cooperation that she is…
Minister, you mentioned the autism reviewer. Her appointment is also progress, and she seems to have hit the ground running. Will you give us some detail on the support, resourcing and engagement provided to the reviewer by the Department of Health, and state whether it is adequate?
I take the admonishment from the Member: that was loose and inappropriate language; I apologise for my use of it. The Education Minister and I have met the principals of a number of special schools in this Building. We had a discussion on the issues that they face. On foot of that, the Chief Nursing Officer and I have…
Minister, people do not "suffer from" autism; they have autism. What discussions have you had with the Minister of Education about the provision of nurses in special schools?
Once again, it would be up to the trust to put in place the sort of facilities that the Member refers to. The strategy is supported by increased collaborative working across sectors. We have a two-year delivery plan, which contains a range of actions across Health, Education, Communities, Economy and a range of…
I thank the Member for her supplementary. As she may be aware, following the additional winter pressures, after Christmas, I visited seven of our emergency departments. One of the takeaways for me was that bright light and excessive noise are two things that, if you suffer from autism, are extremely off-putting. I…
Thank you, Minister. We can all agree that all we want to do is improve the lives of those with autism. What steps are being taken to ensure that sensory-friendly adjustments, such as quiet areas, sensory toys, trained staff and better changing facilities, are available in hospital environments, particularly A&E, to…
My Department has taken a leading role in preparing the cross-departmental strategy to address long-standing inequalities across our public services. Despite a very challenging financial and political context, my Department continues to develop the new cross-departmental autism strategy for 2023-28, which was…
Those decisions are taken by the trusts. I will certainly look at what appears to be a disparity in the Southern Trust. As a matter of principle, I would like to see the five geographical trusts move to having standardised regional services so that there is no question of a postcode lottery in dentistry or in any…
The Minister previously detailed to me that, as of June 2024, there were 40 whole-time-equivalent dentists employed in hospitals across the North but just over one and a half employed in the Southern Trust. Why is there such a disparity?
As I have said, dentists are independent practitioners. It is up to them to decide whether they want to take on new patients and register them for health service work. I am afraid that the Department's position is that we will provide a list of local dentists to anybody who approaches it seeking to be registered with…