‘Extra funding welcome but reform is long-term priority’ – O’Neill
Health Minister Michelle O’Neill has welcomed an extra £72million for health and social care services but said she remains focused on long-term reform.
The Minister was speaking after additional funding had been allocated to the Health and Social Care Service in June Monitoring, a process which deals with in-year budget reallocations.
The Minister said, “At a time when a range of important public services are under severe financial pressure, I welcome this additional investment from the Executive for Health and Social Care – this clearly demonstrates the priority my Executive colleagues and I place on this issue.
“This funding will help address a range of front line pressures right across the health and social care sector, including unscheduled care, improving patient flow through our hospitals and additional social care provision to help meet increasing demands.”
As part of the £72million investment, funding has also been provided for ICT capital for projects such as providing system support for the hearing screening programme for new born babies and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service 999 response system.
The Minister continued, “While this short-term financial boost is to be welcomed, it is only through longer-term structural reform that we will secure an efficient and effective health and social care service.
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“In my first few days in office I highlighted the need to transform the future of our health care services. We simply cannot sustain our current model – either in qualitative or financial terms – and we must focus on delivering the change necessary to build a sustainable health service for this and future generations.”
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