Military to support pandemic response in NI hospitals

Military medics will provide nursing support in Northern Ireland hospitals.

The Health Minister has confirmed that a request for military assistance for Northern Ireland’s health service has been accepted by the Ministry of Defence. The Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) agreement will see over 100 medical technicians provide nursing support to a number of local trusts during the current stage of the Covid-19 pandemic - this MACA support is also being provided in other UK regions. Robin Swann stated: “I welcome this agreement which comes at a particularly challenging and critical period for our health service. “The Armed Forces have provided invaluable support in this pandemic, including aeromedical evacuation, real-estate and ongoing logistical planning. I thank the MOD for this support and for this timely MACA agreement finalised today.

Support from the military will bolster efforts as staff face the hardest days of the pandemic, the peak of a third wave of a huge number of infections.

Over 800 Covid patients are being treated in hospitals currently, with bed occupancy at 96% and four hospitals are operating at over capacity.

The Department of Health's latest daily figures have recorded 22 further Covid-related deaths and over the last seven days, there have been 5,893 positive coronavirus cases.

In April, Mr Swann said he had requested the aid but Sinn Féin's deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said he had taken that decision unilaterally.

When asked during Wednesday's Department of Health press conference about the decision to bring in the military to help, the minister commented: "I understand the political presentational challenges that it may bring.

"What I would say to anybody [they] should only see this as the opportunity to support our health service at a critical time that's why I made that request that I did.

"It's not to make any political point, it's not about any presentational point either, it's to provide that critical support to those people working in our health service who are under pressure and who will remain under pressure for the next number of weeks, so it's about critical support rather than anything else. "

  • Sharon O'Neill reports: