Senior consultant warns pressure on NI health service 'unrelenting and going to get worse'

As the new Chancellor warns government departments to prepare for more cuts, a senior Consultant here has said the health service is already in a dangerous situation.

Director of the Royal College of Surgeons Mark Taylor told View From Stormont: "I'm doing my week of emergency surgery and it is really busy. 

"We have very sick patients all over the hospital, ED departments are full, primary care practioners are inundated with calls and we're not in the depth of winter yet.

"This has been unrelenting pressure and it's only going to get worse.

"Any uncertainty - uncertainty of budget, uncertainty of government, uncertainty of stable decision making is all going to have an impact...

"The health service is in a dangerous situation."

This comes after Stormont's Finance Minister issued a bleak assessment in recent days.

Conor Murphy warned of a £660 million overspend unless action is taken.

On VFS, business leaders in Newry and Londonderry gave their reaction to that warning of a black hole and spelt out the impact they fear it will have.

Aidan O'Kane from Derry Chamber of Commerce said: "The big concern here is that this is a deficit happening at a crucial time for businesses and households and we may see some of those saving and cuts made in education and health so it has huge impact right across society.

Eamonn Connolly of Newry Business Improvement District said: "At the moment businesses face omni-challenges around energy costs, inflation, rates, recruitment and retention.

"Together it's a perfect storm.

"It's a very nervous time. 

"Many businesses I know are trying to hold on to Christmas and I'd have concerns for their viability."

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