The current crisis in Northern Ireland’s health service raises “major questions about how the NHS in being managed here”, according to local Conservative Party spokesman, Mark Brotherston.
“The health minister, Edwin Poots, is threatening to bust his budget, the chief medical officer is holding crisis talks with politicians and the Belfast Trust claims it will not be able to deliver key services”, Mark observed. “This can only be considered a crisis and it has to raise some serious questions about NHS management processes in Northern Ireland, as well as the delivery of Transforming Your Care and other initiatives by Edwin Poots and the Stormont Executive.”
“Michael McBride, the chief medical officer, has highlighted that care in Northern Ireland is falling behind the rest of the UK and that is disturbing, but very relevant. The Conservative health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has proved at Westminster that it is possible to deliver better services. He’s presided over spectacular improvements for patients; shorter waiting lists, 850,000 more operations and better performances by hospitals, despite a tough time in terms of funding.”
“Those achievements are down to making difficult decisions and a change in the management culture of the NHS, which empowers doctors and nurses to get on with doing what they do best. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, that hard work has not been done successfully at a political level, with the consequence that A & Es are in turmoil, costs are spiralling and medical staff are being put under unsustainable pressure. The contrast is stark and it raises serious questions about management under the current trusts and the leadership demonstrated by Edwin Poots.”