Monthly Archives: August 2017

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson, Roy Beggs MLA, has warned that patients are coming to harm as a result of the deteriorating situation in the local health service. Roy Beggs said: “Official targets exist for treatment across all patient types and specialities because it is medically accepted that the longer people are forced to wait for treatment, the greater harm they may ultimately come to. The number of people who are waiting far longer than is medically safe has now grown to an unprecedented and terrifying level. The tragic reality is we have now crossed the point beyond which people will be coming to avoidable harm as a result of the delays they are facing. “It is outrageous that so many people are being forced to wait so long for treatment. Even after the maximum waiting time target was cruelly increased last year from 18 weeks to 52 weeks, there is … Continue reading →

East Antrim Ulster Unionist Party MLA Roy Beggs has condemned the recent arson attack in the Ferris Avenue area of Larne on Tuesday morning (29th August) following an earlier petrol bomb attack in Craigyhill and called for anyone with information to come forward to police. Roy Beggs MLA said “Following reports early this morning of the fire in Ferris Avenue, Larne I am advised that it is now being treated as arson, after being extinguished by the NIFRS. Like the vast majority of individuals in the local community, I too would condemn those responsible for this thoughtless and reckless arson attack – It endangered the residents of the house in addition to neighbours and passers-by. Similarly, the petrol bomb attack at a house in Craigyhill, which is the second time the property has been targeted this year could also have endangered neighbours. This shows a complete disregard of the dangers … Continue reading →

Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist MLA, has called for Ministers to be urgently appointed to end the indecision which has now resulted in the NHSCT proposing emergency closure of intermediate care beds and the reduction in planned elected surgery and domiciliary care packages. Roy Beggs UUP Health Spokesperson, said: “These emergency in year cuts are the out working of the failure of past Governments to invest in Modernising our Health Service, the absence of approving an appropriate and timely budget for this year and the continuing absence of a Health Minister and Executive to take decisions. A local Health Minister must be appointed or there should be an immediate return to direct rule. “The Northern HSCT and other Health Trusts have been told they have to find these savings. The slashing of intermediary beds and restricting domiciliary care packages, run completely contrary to what all the evidence suggests we should be … Continue reading →

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson, Roy Beggs MLA, has warned that the £70m cuts announced by the Health and Social Care Trusts will exacerbate the waiting times crisis already overwhelming the local health service. Roy Beggs said: “These emergency cuts will mean people waiting longer for treatments and people having to remain in hospitals for longer than they need to and therefore not allowing those beds to become available for other patients. “Northern Ireland already has by far the worst waiting times anywhere in the United Kingdom, so these additional cuts will have a direct impact on the quality and safety of patient care. More lives will be lost, as local health officials themselves warn – spiralling waiting times can lead to severely delayed diagnoses of life threatening illnesses. The shocking reality of where we are in 2017 is that for some of those people waiting, such as the 64,000 local … Continue reading →