Ulster Unionist Party Health Spokesperson, Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, has described the performance of the Department of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Richard Pengelly, at today’s Health Committee, as utterly shocking and devoid of any detail.
The Upper Bann MLA said:
“From his performance today Mr Pengelly has let down the thousands of health service staff who are operating at breaking point in hospitals and health facilities right across Northern Ireland.
“Mr Pengelly came to the Committee without a presentation or a brief, and with an obvious intent to be vague when answering questions, but robust in defending the in/out Health Minister.
“From the responses, I would not call them answers, provided to my questioning I was left stunned at the lack of apparent knowledge and detail from the most senior official within the Department of Health.
“On Monday I roundly criticised Health Minister Simon Hamilton for once again failing to appear for our party’s key cancer services debate in the Assembly. He also didn’t show up for our motion on 21 September on spiralling hospital waiting times, and again yesterday he failed to appear for an SDLP motion on Autism.
“It wasn’t unreasonable to expect that as the Minister didn’t answer any of the points raised in these debates, Mr Pengelly would come to the committee prepared to address the concerns which we as elected representatives are raising on behalf of local people, many left in agonising pain for months on end on waiting lists.
“One of the most shocking areas where there was an apparent lack of information amongst the officials was the reality for local people and the waiting times and delays for Breast Cancer sufferers. Senior ranks within the Department seem almost to be operating in parallel universe. I once again raised the disgraceful situation that in June, only 27% of Breast Cancer sufferers in the Belfast Trust were seen within 14 days, a shocking statistic given that this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Unlike others, the Ulster Unionist party are representing our constituents and holding our public services to account and we will continue to do so.”