Robin Swann ‘determined’ to rebuild health service as quickly as possible after Covid

Some 16,938 elective procedures, operations and diagnostic tests have been postponed between March 17 2020 and March 5 2021.

Robin Swann said the downturn in elective care has been a consequence of “unprecedented pressures that the Covid-19 pandemic has placed on our hospitals over the past year”.

However, he pointed out that figure also includes cancellations for all reasons – including clinical circumstances, patient cancellations or staff pressures as well as Covid.

“I am assured that every attempt is made to protect the most urgent appointments where this is achievable and that postponed tests, procedures and operations will all be rescheduled as quickly as possible,” he told MLAs during Health Minister questions.

“My department has commissioned trust rebuilding plans for the three month period from April to June and I will publish detailed activity projections.”

Yesterday, there were 176 confirmed coronavirus inpatients in hospital, 18 of whom were in intensive care.

Mr Swann said numbers in hospitals have reduced in recent weeks, but the situation remains “extremely challenging”.

“Trusts are keeping the position under daily review in order that they may resume surgery fully as soon as capacity is safely available,” he said.

Mr Swann said the pandemic has “reinforced the need to rebuild our health and social care system in new and better ways”.

“Firm foundations for change have already been laid with key initiatives such as the multi disciplinary teams in primary care and new day case elective care centres put in place, upskilling of the social care workforce rolled out, a new rapid response mental health hospital liaison put in place and a commitment to put in place 900 additional nursing and midwifery training place by 2022,” he said.“As we emerge from the latest Covid-19 surge, I’m determined to rebuild as quickly as possible.”

Mr Swann said the pandemic is and remains “one of the biggest challenges that faces my health service and all those who work in it”.

He added: “A health service that has been underfunded, under-resourced and undervalued for the past 10 years and unfortunately when we saw the complete escalation and pressure that this global pandemic placed on our health service, the drastic decisions that were needed to be taken, were not taken lightly either by my department, or by trusts or by clinicians who made these decisions in regards to what services had to be scaled back.

“But I am reassured when I see the rebuilding plans, when I engage with our trade unions, with the Royal Colleges about their desire to get back up and running as quickly as they can but also as safely as they can.”