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 thank the Member for his question. A number of pay parity awards are under consideration. He will be aware that, last week, I met Agenda for Change unions and the British Medical Association (BMA) to discuss the situation. On Saturday, I was at a GP conference in the centre of Belfast discussing the same issues. It…
The purpose of the plan is to highlight the wide range of policy and service development initiatives that are in progress and outline the actions and improvements that can be delivered over the next three years to improve health outcomes for women. At this stage, the focus is on mapping the work that is already under…
I thank the Member. I am personally not aware of the spike that she referred to, but I assure her that the Department, in all its actions, is keen, eager and determined to look at rural impacts. That runs across all the activities of Health and Social Care.
Thank you, Minister, for that. According to a senior police officer whom I was speaking to recently, there has been a spike in suicides among males in the Causeway Coast and Glens area. Is your Department aware of that, and does it take an approach that looks at things through a rural lens and the effect that…
Delivery of the mental health strategy has been taking place within an extremely challenging financial context, using existing limited resources to take forward actions. As a result, the strategy is being implemented through annual delivery plans that set year-on-year priorities and actions. While the number of…
I agree with the point, which is well made. My objective is to deliver better outcomes for patients, service users and the population generally as well as for those who deliver healthcare. Sometimes, slight adjustments are all that is required. Sometimes, a relatively small investment will have a disproportionately…
Does the Minister agree that, following his recent visit and discussions with staff, the IMPACTAgewell project is a brilliant example of how spending money slightly differently can deliver far more significant benefits and savings in other parts of the health service?
I thank the Member. The IMPACTAgewell project delivered by the Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership is an integrated community development approach to improving the health and well-being of older people. The approach brings together those involved with the care and support of an older person: the GP, community…
Will the Minister provide an update on discussions with the UK Government on support for dentists who have been impacted on by the recent Budget announcements?
Thank you very much, indeed, Mr Speaker. Will the Minister provide an update on the initiatives that his Department has taken this year to improve access to dental care in the Northern Trust and Western Trust, please?
I am more happy to engage with the Member on the detail of the individual case. As a more general rule of thumb, the North/South reimbursement scheme, which was successful, no longer operates, because there is no budget for it. A bid was made in the previous financial year for budget to allow that scheme to be…
I thank the Minister for that detailed answer. Minister, I will bring to your attention briefly the story of a family based in Greysteel in my constituency. They have a young girl called Maisie who has complex needs and was told that she would have to wait a year to get a tooth that was causing her so much bother that…
Community dental services (CDS) in health and social care trusts provide dental care to patients who, for various reasons, are not suitable for treatment in the primary care setting. For young children or those with additional needs or in particularly complex cases, it may be necessary for the treatment to be taken…
Is the Minister able to provide an update on the initiatives that his Department has taken to improve access to dental care in the Northern and Western Trusts? That is just to keep the Speaker happy.
I thank the Member for his follow-up question. With his permission, I will go away and test the question of policy. Certainly, from my point of view, sending somebody out of the jurisdiction would have to be an act of absolute last resort. I hope that the availability from 1 April of a new £13 million fund for this…
I thank the Minister for that answer. Further to that, will he respond to parents who have confirmed that their children are being sent out of Northern Ireland to access respite care? A response to a question for written answer from my colleague Nuala McAllister stated that that was not departmental policy. In…
Members will be aware that the health and social care trusts have responsibility for commissioning and delivering services for children and adults, aligned to assessed needs. Respite or short-break care is defined as the provision of regular, occasional or emergency but time-limited breaks to those who are caring for…
I have not had any particular engagement with that organisation on the question of Lynch syndrome, which, I understand, is a genetic issue. Early discussions are under way, however, to test the feasibility for the establishment of a Northern Ireland Lynch register, and those discussions are taking place between my…
It is question of resource, it is a question of funding and it is a question of capacity. There are many things, on a daily basis, that people come to me about and ask, "Why do you not do this? If you invest in this, you will save money there. You will deliver the better outcomes that you talk about delivering."…
I thank the Minister for the answer, in particular his reference to action 7. I appreciate your long-held commitment to this, Minister, and I know that you feel strongly about this, but surely every day of delay is putting further lives at risk? Why can we not just test people now? That, undoubtedly, will save lives.
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommends that bowel cancer screening be offered to individuals aged between 50 and 74. Currently, in Northern Ireland, anybody aged 60 to 74 who is registered with a GP is eligible for bowel cancer screening. Action 7 of the cancer strategy for Northern Ireland 2022-32…