Robin Swann MLA, the North Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA, has challenged DUP Health Minister Jim Wells, “to do the decent thing this Christmas, and return Ballycastle’s Dalriada Hospital to its full operational state”.
Mr Swann said:
“Minister Wells has thus far failed to ensure that the Northern Health Trust returns the Dalriada Hospital to a fully operational state.
“To ensure transparency and compliance with Judge Treacy’s ruling, I asked the Minister to direct the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to publish and place weekly in the Assembly Library, a list of the number of patients admitted and discharged from the Units previously announced for closure in Dalriada Hospital.
“I believe if the Minister provided this information in this manner, then not just North Antrim MLAs, but the general public would see that the Minister was genuine in his support for Dalriada.
“However, I am extremely disappointed that the Health Minister has indicated to me that he would not provide the information in the way I requested but that, I should ‘obtain up-to-date information regarding patient numbers directly from the Trust’. This is a totally unacceptable position.”