Jon Burrows insists changing health minister will not interrupt 'important work' underway in Northern Ireland's NHS

Jon Burrows was responding to the surprise resignation of Mike Nesbitt, who hit out at his leader for introducing a new “red line” on the retention of emergency surgery at Causeway hospital.

The former minister said his party leader’s support for keeping the service at Coleraine had created “shock waves” in the HSC system.

However, Mr Burrows says that the important work which is already underway in the health service will not be disrupted by changing minister.

The UUP boss thanked Mr Nesbitt for taking on “arguably the hardest job in government” and approaching it with “seriousness, integrity and a determination to improve our health service”.

"The direction he set on reform, on tackling health inequalities and on driving down waiting lists was the right one, and that work will continue.

“I will be discussing the health brief with party colleagues over the coming days and expect to confirm a nomination soon. Whoever takes on the role will have the full backing of the Ulster Unionist Party and our Assembly team.

“The immediate priority remains putting patients first: reducing waiting lists and improving access to GPs, wait times in A&E, diagnostics, treatment and surgery right across Northern Ireland. Important work is already under way and a change of Minister will not interrupt it.

“There is also no escaping the need for meaningful reform. The Ulster Unionist Party has never shied away from that. But how we deliver reform is every bit as important as what we ultimately decide.

“Safe, sustainable services must be the overriding priority. Reform must also address health inequalities and regional imbalance, and recognise that people in different parts of Northern Ireland do not currently enjoy equal access to timely healthcare.

“That means looking at the whole picture: workforce pressures, recruitment and retention, the risk of losing vital clinical skills and capacity, ambulance and travel times, sustainability, patient outcomes, and the particular needs of different communities.

“Clinical evidence must be central to decision making, but reform cannot simply be done to communities. There must be genuine engagement with the clinicians and staff delivering services and with the people who depend on them. I don't believe we have got that balance right, and the strength of feeling around Causeway shows what happens when communities feel decisions are arriving rather than being made with them.

“I want to see a Northern Ireland wide conversation about the future of our health service, in which the evidence, risks, costs, benefits and alternatives are transparent, and people can have confidence their concerns have genuinely been heard.

“The responsibilities carried by the Department of Health are immense. The next Minister will be committed to the transformation and reform of our health service, while ensuring it commands the greatest possible public and professional confidence.

“The Ulster Unionist Party took the health brief because we believed it mattered more than it was convenient.

“That has not changed. We have a duty of care to everyone in Northern Ireland, and we remain determined to build a health service that is safer, faster and fairer”.

In his resignation letter, posted on social media on Tuesday evening, Mr Nesbitt said: “Firstly, thank you again for agreeing to accept the invitation to become a co-opted MLA for North Antrim, following Robin Swann's election to the House of Commons and the subsequent resignation of Colin Crawford as his original replacement at Stormont. Colin's decision brought on a timebound crisis, with the ultimate consequence of the seat being lost to the Party, had I not identified a successor.

“Bringing you into Stormont is on me, as is my decision to stand down as Party Leader, opening the opportunity for you to mount a successful campaign to take the role. Previously, I held the record for the shortest time between becoming an MLA and assuming the leadership, but you proved I was only playing at it. Congratulations!

“Now, the more difficult part.

“When you became Leader, you informed me, with your hallmark clarity, that when it came to health, you had but one "red line", namely puberty blockers and your opposition to Northern Ireland participating in the Pathways trial. I accepted that, even though our engagement with Pathways was the price of securing the Executive's agreement to join GB's ban on blockers, something most observers thought impossible to achieve. Many Executive colleagues will rightly feel betrayed by my U-turn.

“This letter concerns the fact you appear to have introduced a second "red line", regarding Emergency General Surgency at Causeway Hospital. I am not the sort of Minister who is happy to discover the Leader's view of issues under my purview by having to monitoring the media.

“Yesterday, I offered you a way to manage this situation. As I have not received a timely response, and given the shock waves you have created in the HSC system, this matter needs resolved.

“Being Minister of Health remains the greatest privilege of my political career. It is, therefore, with no little regret that I have composed this letter of resignation”.