A Conservative candidate has slammed public money being directed at smoking cessation among BME residents as "ludicrous and pointlessly divisive".
An FOI request by the Conservatives has revealed that HSC in Belfast employs a BME health worker tasked with "targeting a minimum of 90 BME (non-Chinese) individuals" for smoking cessation. Other aspects of the role include “Represent(ing) BME communities by sitting on relevant partnerships/forums” and “Developing access to health services for BME communities”.
East Belfast candidate Neil Wilson said: "The public will rightly ask why money is being spent in a way that is clearly duplicating the smoking cessation services already offered across the NHS. This use of taxpayers’ money is ludicrous and pointlessly divisive”.
Neil continued: "I first became aware of this position when an Indian resident contacted me stating that they were being invited to use a gym that was only for BME residents. Not only did she feel patronised but she felt that the existence of such a role was extremely divisive. “It’s time that politicians woke up to the fact that if we are to move forward as a country then we need to stop throwing money at things that only exacerbate division and just treat people equally.”