Ulster Unionist MLA Robin Swann has accused the Health Minister of failing to ensure the safety of young people born with potentially life-threatening congenital heart defects.

Robin Swann, who is Chairman of the Assembly’s All Party Group on Congenital Heart Disease, said;

“Last year I secured cross-party support for the rollout of pulse oximetry to screen all newborns for early detection of life-threatening congenital heart defects. The procedure is simply a measure of oxygen in a child’s blood. It is a quick, cheap and non-invasive practice and if it were adopted it could help to identify congenital heart defects in children who missed being diagnosed through prenatal screening.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that its introduction would be a lifesaver. Therefore it is baffling that the Minister continues to delay its roll out. I can think of no other reason than a lack of leadership and political will at the top of the Department.

“Recently the Minister confirmed that the £1 million previously promised by John Compton for investment in the future for Paediatric Congenital Cardiac Services was in fact spent on surgery undertaken outside Northern Ireland, and these latest figures go to prove that.

“That is absolutely shameful considering parents were led to believe this money would be used to support the future development of a centre of excellence for children’s heart services in Belfast, after operations were stopped.

“Only this week it was revealed to me that in 2014/15 the health service spent approximately £4.4m on paediatric cardiac procedures outside Northern Ireland. That was an increase from £3.3m the year before.

“It is frankly outrageous that all surgery in Northern Ireland has ended and is set to be transferred to Our Lady’s Hospital in Dublin before extra capacity in the Republic had been created.”