Ulster Unionist Michael Copeland MLA has described news that people awaiting hip and knee operations in the Belfast Trust are facing waiting times of 36 weeks as “unacceptable”.
The East Belfast MLA said:
“It is totally unacceptable that anyone awaiting a knee or hip operation is being forced to wait for double the amount of time that is legally allowed in England. Citizens of the United Kingdom should all be receiving the same standard of NHS healthcare.’
“The Ulster Unionist Party consistently warned during budget debates that our health service would be left enormously deprived of resources vital to maintaining the level of service required by this country.’
“We need answers as to how this situation has been created and why no contingency was put in place to deal with such a scenario.’