Health Minister Mike Nesbitt plans ‘re-boot’ of health services reform across Northern Ireland

Stormont’s Health Minister has signalled an intent to “re-boot” a programme of reform for treatment services in Northern Ireland.

Mike Nesbitt said he would be making a series of announcements and unveiling various plans across the autumn with the aim of putting the region’s health service on a “clear path to recovery”.

The first of those will come on Tuesday when Mr Nesbitt publishes a new framework document on reconfiguring services.

The document, titled Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes, will set out the rationale and guiding principles for reorganising services.

In a letter to MLAs, Mr Nesbitt stressed that the document would not identify precise locations for each medical specialty, insisting that would require further examination.

Mr Nesbitt said future reconfiguration decisions would include on emergency general surgery provision in the Northern Trust area and on proposals arising from a review of breast cancer services.

He said the department also intended to publish a major independent review of maternity services in October.

“This autumn will be important in terms of re-booting reform and facing up to the many serious challenges ahead,” he wrote.

The minister also said the author of major blueprint for reforming health services in Northern Ireland, Professor Rafael Bengoa, would be revisiting Northern Ireland in October, eight years on from the publication of his landmark report.

Mr Nesbitt said the professor’s visit would include a keynote speech on October 9. The minister said the address would help “refocus attention on what needs to be done”.

“In the immediate weeks following Professor Bengoa’s visit, I will publish a three-year strategic plan for the remainder of this Assembly mandate,” the minister added.

In his letter, Mr Nesbitt also reiterated his concerns about the budget allocation to his department.

“I have to say that the current financial position makes progress all the more difficult,” he said.

The minister said there were actions he could take with the current allocation but said “significant additional resources” will be required for further actions in the years ahead.

“While the Programme for Government sets out the limits that the present budgetary situation places on efforts to reduce waiting lists, I will continue to make the case for significantly more funding for health,” he added.

“I have no time for the argument that money alone is the solution to the health service’s ills. Equally, anyone who suggests it is not part of the answer is sadly mistaken.”

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