Category Archives: Health Committee

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson, Roy Beggs MLA, has said urgent answers are needed as to why it took the Belfast Health Trust so long to order a patient recall. Roy Beggs said: “The announcement by the Belfast Health Trust will be worrying for every single patient and family who have been affected. “Serious questions need to be asked as to why exactly it has taken so long to get to this stage. Concerns about the standard of diagnosis and treatments were first raised over 16 months ago and the consultant in question has not been seeing any patients since last June. It seems inexplicable to me therefore that it’s taken almost a further year for the review to conclude and for his previous patients to be told that they have potentially been misdiagnosed. “There is a very real possibility that some patients may have been misdiagnosed and have still been … Continue reading →

East Antrim Ulster Unionist Party MLA, Roy Beggs expressed concern that the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) has only received 10% of capital spending by Health Trust over the last 5 years, despite having 25% of the population of Northern Ireland. Roy Beggs MLA said “I have been concerned at the under investment in local Health Facilities for some time and contacted the Health Department’s Permanent Secretary seeking details of capital spending provided to each Trust area in Northern Ireland. Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey do not have A&E units or a Minor Injuries Unit. Nor do we have modern Health and Well-being facilities. There is a need for investment to modernise many of our GP surgeries and Allied Health facilities so that more primary health care services can be provided locally, but we have received less than half the investment we could reasonably expect to receive.” Modern Health … Continue reading →

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson Roy Beggs MLA has warned that the decision by the Red Cross to withdraw their local ambulance service will only increase pressure on the NI Ambulance Service’s already dangerously stretched paramedics. Roy Beggs said: “The British Red Cross, along with other charities such as St John’s Ambulance, have for some time been playing an important role in assisting the safe and timely operation of local ambulance services. “This includes carrying out non-emergency ambulance transfers and stepping up to assist local hospitals at times of peak demand, including over the recent Christmas period. They have played an absolutely essential role over recent times in helping to alleviate some of the pressure on the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). “The decision by the Red Cross to withdraw from the contracted Ambulance Support work they undertake by the 30 April 2018 is worrying on two fronts. “It no doubt … Continue reading →