Health minister Robin Swann says there is 'no quick fix' to the long standing hospital problems and asks the public to use services appropriately

Mr Swann said there was “no quick fix” to the long standing problems and asked the public to use services appropriately.

His comments come after an emergency department consultant at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry made a public appeal for help to ease pressure after admitting his staff were facing “dire straits”.

Mr Swann said: “This is not a problem that is unique to Northern Ireland. The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged health systems that were already struggling under the weight of demographic change, budgetary limitations and staffing challenges.

“The whole of health and social care is focused on increasing levels of activity after the pandemic to meet a greater proportion of the health and social care needs of the population.

“A key part of that is to mitigate the expected severe pressures over the winter period by mobilising available capacity across health and social care.

He said he had already announced steps to stabilise primary care ahead of the winter pressures and will set out the overall plan in the near future.

Mr Swann added: “It is important to be honest with the public – these problems are long-standing and there is no quick fix.

“We can all do our bit to help. I would appeal to everyone to please use services appropriately. Get your COVID-19 and flu vaccination jabs if you are eligible and co-operate with hospital discharge processes to help free up beds for others. Please support our great staff in every way you can.

“The longer term challenge, as we all know, is to significantly increase capacity in the system though investment in people and technology and changing the way we deliver key services.”

“That task is certainly not helped by the continuing absence of a Northern Ireland budget and the significant projected overspend facing my department.”

He re-iterated a previous statement: “As things stand at present, we have no budget at all. Prolonging this state of affairs would be tantamount to sabotaging the rebuilding of our health service."