Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs has revealed that Northern Ireland’s Health Trusts are currently operating to deficit of £130m. The information was discovered by the East Antrim MLA after he questioned Health Officials during the examination of the Department’s bid for the October Monitoring Round.
Roy Beggs said;
“Northern Ireland’s five Health and Social Care Trusts are on the frontline of healthcare in Northern Ireland. They are responsible for our hospitals and ensuring that there are sufficient services in the community for the local people.
“Therefore I was shocked to learn that the Health Trust are scheduled to have a deficit of £130m in the current financial year. Unfortunately, as I have seen through cases coming into my constituency office, may have a major impact with growing waiting lists and delays to treatment as Health Trusts try to expenditure further.
“Over the past three years the Department of Health has become reliant on receiving additional funds through the in-year monitoring process to meet health care needs. This is despite the fact that the four year budget settlement in 2011 included an understanding that the Department of Health was not to bid for extra funds at all.
“Our Health Service is in crisis. Cutting health funding as we approach the winter period of peak pressures will not be tolerated by the public, and therefore was it any wonder the new Health Minister decided not to attend the Health Committee hearing to which he was invited to discuss the situation”.