Tag Archives: Poots

Beggs says latest funding not enough to address Health Service budget crisis

Ulster Unionist health spokesperson Roy Beggs MLA has stated that the additional funding announced today for the Health Service is far short of what is required to address the shortfall in the Health Budget, and that the fact that an additional £250 million has made available to the Health Service Budget since May 2011 vindicated the stance taken by Michael McGimpsey when Minister of Health. Mr Beggs said: “The £30 million announced by the Finance Minister is only a step towards what is actually required to fill the black hole in the current Health Budget which the Ulster Unionist Party warned was inevitable given the budget settlement in 2011. The Finance Minister has now been forced to make yet another top-up of £30m to alleviate current pressures. This is despite Health officials telling the Health Committee only weeks ago that there were £43m of inescapable pressures which included quality and … Continue reading

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Beggs welcomes appointment of Chair of Inquiry into sexual exploitation of children

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs has welcomed the appointment of a Chair of the inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse of children and young people in Northern Ireland but expressed his concern that the Education Training Inspectorate is not yet signed up. Mr Beggs, who sits on the Stormont Health committee, said; “The Ulster Unionist Party welcomes the appointment of Professor Kathleen Marshall to lead an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Northern Ireland. In September the Health Minister Edwin Poots announced that he would set up an independent expert-led inquiry to investigate child sexual exploitation. This should have involved the Health Inspectorate, Criminal Justice Inspectorate and the Education Training Inspectorate given their roles in protecting children. I was very disappointed to hear during the course of Edwin Poots` announcement yesterday that the Education Training Inspectorate still weren`t signed up. Given the importance of this inquiry it is vital … Continue reading

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Where is the Mandate for Care Homes Non Admissions Policy?

East Antrim MLA and Ulster Unionist health spokesman Roy Beggs Jnr has again questioned the DUP Health Minister Edwin Poots on his admissions policy for long term stays in Residential Care Homes.  A just published answer to a written question posed at Stormont by Mr Beggs reveals that for the financial year 2012/13, there were no permanent admissions to Statutory (NHS Trust) Elderly Residential Homes in the Northern region, whilst at the same time 244 permanent admissions were referred to privately run homes. Mr Beggs said: “The Assembly Written Answer shows that the 4 other Health Trusts have been admitting residents to Statutory Residential Homes.  These figures confirm what anecdotally we already knew:  In the Northern Trust area, there is an on-going policy of closing all statutory residential homes by stealth through a non-admissions policy.  For example in my local area of Larne no new residents have been referred to … Continue reading

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Latest Residential Care Homes Statement is Creating More Anxiety: Beggs

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Roy Beggs Jnr has said that the announcement of a new round of consultations in the autumn on the future of NHS Residential Care Homes in Northern Ireland has created yet more confusion and anxiety for residents and their relatives. Mr Beggs, who has been working with friends and relatives of residents in East Antrim’s 3 NHS Trust Residential Home for the past year, said: “In May, Health Minister Edwin Poots announced that the consultation process on Residential Care Home closure- just launched by the individual Health Trusts- had been stopped. The official spin was that Mr Poots had stepped in and saved the Homes. That in reality was never the case. There was no change whatsoever on his policy of closing, or running down all NHS Residential Care Home across Northern Ireland. It is now clear that it was only a temporary pause to take … Continue reading

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No Reassurance from Health Minister on A&E Waiting Times

East Antrim UUP MLA Roy Beggs has again raised the issue of waiting times at Casualty Units in Northern Ireland, in particular at Antrim Area Hospital. Questioning the Minister at Stormont, Mr Beggs said: During March and April, the main accident and emergency units in Northern Ireland saw the lowest proportion of patients treated within four hours ever recorded.  The figures show that one third of patients at Antrim Area Hospital are not seen within four hours and that, at the Causeway Hospital, it is about 30% of patients.  How can the Minister be confident that we are seeing something more significant than the normal seasonal adjustment as we approach the summer months?  How can he be sure that we are seeing significant improvement and changes and are starting to reach the 95% target that exists everywhere in the United Kingdom?” Replying, Health Minister Poots could give no assurances that … Continue reading

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