Philip McGuigan
North Antrim · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I concur with the Minister that patient safety is ultimately the top priority, but patient safety is also important, as the Member said, in terms of assessments. If you cannot get assessments, your safety is compromised.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Further to my party colleague's point of order about the DUP's internal investigation, what is the point of doing an investigation if you are telling us that you have nothing to answer for? You were the leader of the DUP at a time when accusations were levelled against Jeffrey Donaldson.”
“Minister, in your previous answers you talked about the pressures and the difficulties. You said that you were looking for a fair funding model, and you spoke of the need for taxpayers here to be treated equitably.”
“Minister, the inquiry found systematic abuse, neglect and serious governance failure at Muckamore Abbey Hospital over many years — failures that were not isolated incidents but reflected systematic issues across leadership, staffing, safeguarding and oversight that resulted in decades of physical and psychological abuse.”
“When I engage with health service sectors as my party's health spokesperson, there is not one that does not talk about workforce pressures and problems with staff recruitment and retention. That is clearly the case with doctors.”
“First Minister, you have spoken previously about the opportunities created as a result of our unique economic and trading position and about the increased potential that comes with all-island cooperation.”
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“I completely welcome your last commentary, Minister, and the fact that you and the Health Minister are working together to, as you say, successfully resolve the issue for health workers. How have you, as Finance Minister, worked to ensure priority for the Health budget in the Executive?”
“According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' elective care recovery tracker, there are close to 60,000 patients on the gynae waiting list, with 32,000 of them waiting for more than 52 weeks. We can all acknowledge the challenges in our health service, but women cannot continue to be failed. This is about meeting a basic healthcare need and, as my party colleague rightly said, about fairness and dignity. Medical professionals who want to specialise in the condition must, where possible, be supported to undertake additional specialist training, but, ultimately, we need to see progress beyond reports and recommendations. We need to see the delivery and action that women and girls across the island deserve.”
“<BR /> <BR />International best practice is clear: specialist-led excision surgery delivered through a multidisciplinary model of care gives women and girls the best chance of having a good, pain-free quality of life. I welcome the Minister's recognition that women's healthcare must be given more focus and the fact that work is under way to reduce waiting times and develop a standardised regional pathway for patients with diagnoses of minor, intermediate or severe endometriosis. We also welcome the establishment of the regional Health and Social Care (HSC) gynaecology services forum, which oversees the implementation of the Getting It Right First Time report. I ask Minister to provide in his response an update on the progress of the recommendations in the report. <BR /> <BR />To be clear, there is a need for urgency.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we have heard, endometriosis can have a profound impact on every aspect of a woman's life — work, education and relationships — and has implications for organ health and fertility. The lack of awareness and expertise in the area does not just delay diagnosis but adds to the mental and emotional toll of living with constant pain and uncertainty. We understand that many of the symptoms can vary and overlap with other conditions and that there are limited non-invasive diagnostic methods. That is why it is vital that we have a sufficient number of trained professionals who understand the condition and can provide timely referrals, proper imaging, speedy treatment and aftercare pathways — not the painkillers-and-platitudes approach that many women who have shared their stories have experienced.”
“Their contributions and those of the individuals whose words Linda read out are vital to the conversation, with women and girls identifying for themselves the exact nature of the condition, how it has affected them and the barriers to treatment and living a full life. For many years, many of them have been dismissed or misdiagnosed and, in some cases, have had no option but to borrow or spend money to access the tests and treatment that they needed to manage the debilitating and chronic condition. As others have said, most wait almost a decade for a proper diagnosis. That is absolutely unacceptable and points to a wider systemic failure in women's healthcare. I welcome the debate on the motion that we have tabled. I also welcome the Alliance amendment calling on the Minister to urgently bring forward the women's health action plan.”
“It is estimated that endometriosis affects one in 10 women and girls, which is higher than the number affected by diabetes. I know that everybody has used that statistic in their contribution. I was going to take it out of mine, but it does no harm to reiterate how common the condition is in women and girls across the island. To be honest, until I moved to the Committee for Health in February, I knew little or nothing about it. It is important that debates such as this highlight not only the exact nature of the condition but, more important, what needs to be done to help the women and girls across the island who are suffering. <BR /> <BR />I listened to Sinéad, and I heard Naomi Long on social media last night.”
“I assure the Health Minister that, in his efforts to find a resolution to the issue of pay for healthcare workers, he has full support from me, as Sinn Féin's health spokesperson. Furthermore, he can be assured that Sinn Féin Ministers in the Executive are totally committed to solving the problem. I am hopeful that an agreement can be reached to deliver the well-deserved and well-earned pay award. Sinn Féin will continue to work to make that a reality.”
“I am disappointed that the Health Minister did not prioritise pay when he received his budget; that he has, so far, not resolved the issue of pay for health and social care staff; and that, as a result, we have again arrived at this position. <BR /> <BR />It is a position that we must get ourselves out of. There must be a solution to the issue.”
“The Department received allocations of £115 million as part of the June monitoring round, so its total budget for this year is £8·6 billion. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin has prioritised Health, but, ultimately, the Health Minister is the Health Minister. Even though the Health Minister is not from my political party, I want him to succeed. We all need him to succeed. I have some sympathy with the Health Minister, as I do with all Ministers when dealing with their budgets. Ultimately, however, he is the person who decides how the money in the overall Health budget is allocated. The Health Minister is responsible for setting and funding Health priorities, including paying healthcare staff.”
“As we in the North of Ireland are tied to Westminster, there has been underinvestment in our public services for close to 15 years — 15 years of austerity. Our Executive are still not adequately resourced. Sinn Féin believes that the best long-term solution to improve health outcomes in the North is an all-island health service in a new Ireland. In the context of the current interim arrangements in the North, however, Sinn Féin has prioritised the issue of health. In the Executive, through the current and previous Sinn Féin Finance Ministers, Sinn Féin has prioritised Health budgets from the money that has been available to the Executive. The Department of Health's opening budget was £8·4 billion this year, which is £650 million higher than the 2024-25 budget. Over 50% of the Executive's available resources go to Health.”
“I recently met the RCN, the British Medical Association (BMA) and other health unions, and I am well aware of the depth of their resolve and of their determination on behalf of their members. Clearly, they just want the issue to be resolved. The health service is important to us all. As elected politicians, we should work together to make it better for the people whom we represent: our constituents, who need and rely on the service. We also need to work better to ensure that it is better for those who work in it. <BR /> <BR />Why are we here again? I am conscious that healthcare workers do not want to get involved in party political discussions or debates, but it is important for me to outline my thoughts on some of the issues.”
“That was me speaking in 2019 in support of nurses and healthcare workers as they were about to go on strike because of pay and conditions. Here, today, I am equally frustrated, although certainly not as frustrated as nurses and healthcare workers, that we have reached a position where nurses feel once again that they have no option other than potential strike action. I absolutely support the commitment to the core principle of pay parity for health and social care workers across the North, as I did in 2019. <BR /> <BR />Nurses and all other healthcare workers should not be in the position of again having to consider strike action to get the pay award to which they are entitled.”
“Our health service is the most vital of our public services. It relies heavily on its greatest asset: its staff. The safety of staff and patients alike is compromised as a result of staff shortages. There is a huge hole in our health and social care services as a result of pay issues that affect the recruitment and retention of staff.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“— by the boundaries of the system. We need an all-Ireland approach to the issue.”
“— access to live-saving healthcare should not be constricted —”
“However, I ask the Minister, in his response today, to detail precisely how long, he believes, the process to put in place an island-wide arrangement would take. It should be straightforward and take very little time. I also ask him to outline how that time frame compares with the five years' — at least — wait for a local service for patients here. If the answer is anything less than five years, surely, he must act to get that arrangement in place now. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion —”
“Patients here should not have to travel hundreds of miles for the treatment. They should not have to travel outside Ireland, when Dublin's St James's Hospital, just 60 miles from where Catherine lived, offers the same therapy. The Minister has stated that he is working towards establishing a new regional haematology ward in Belfast that will enable patients to receive CAR T-cell therapy locally. That investment is welcome, but, by the Minister's own admission, it will not be delivered until 2030 at the earliest, assuming that there are no unforeseen delays. The Minister also acknowledges that the time taken to put in place the necessary arrangements to enable patients to access treatment in Dublin would be nugatory, when plans are in place to open a regional ward.”
“I join the proposer of the motion in acknowledging Catherine Sherry and her sad loss and in welcoming her family members to the Assembly. I acknowledge their courage in sharing their family's very personal and heartbreaking story to raise awareness of the lack of CAR T-cell treatment in the North, of the toll that travelling for the therapy can take on the individual receiving the treatment and on their family, and of the additional risk factors of infection that can arise from having to travel on public transport, including planes, and wait in busy spaces such as airports. The implications of all those factors are real, preventable and must be addressed. <BR /> <BR />CAR T-cell therapy is a breakthrough in cancer treatment. It offers hope where hope has, perhaps, run out.”
“Before I get to the specific subject of the motion, it is important that we consider the broader context of how cancer care is being delivered in the North. The cancer strategy that was published in 2022 set out a vision for transforming outcomes, improving access and embedding person-centred care, yet, nearly three years on, implementation remains slow, underfunded and fragmented. Cancer patients are already being let down by delays in waiting times for diagnostic testing. The delays add stress and uncertainty and, in some cases, could impact on patient outcomes. We cannot compound that injustice by denying access to cancer therapies being delivered as close to home as possible. <BR /> <BR />Clearly, I support the motion, and I thank the SDLP for tabling it.”
“Minister, you said that the issue arose when the trust was initiating an update to its IT system. I am not an IT expert, but I imagine that that might be a fairly regular occurrence, not just in the Southern Trust but across the trusts. You talked a wee bit about lessons to be learned by other trusts: is there concern that any of this might happen across other trusts when they do IT updates?”
“Obviously, my question was a wee bit outdated, given the Minister's statement this morning. Nonetheless, I welcome progress. Even though this may have been covered, Minister, when might a replacement scheme be in place, and how much annually managed expenditure (AME) funding will be available for it?”
“Ba chóir don iomlán againn, mar sin, fearadh na fáilte a chur rompu.”
“Attacking the PSNI or Fire and Rescue Service, which are there to protect vulnerable people, is not a valid argument if you are concerned about public services. Burning the houses of innocent families with women and children inside will not solve a housing crisis. Refusing the offer of £96,000 of government funding designed to support asylum seekers in the area, as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council did with the support of some who are not in the Chamber but were elected to it, will not help local ratepayers. <BR /> <BR />We must reject the scapegoating and dehumanising of people who come here to make this place their home. Is fearrde don Tuaisceart an éagsúlacht. Cuireann na daoine sin a thig ó náisiúin éile, cuireann siad leis an Tuaisceart; bíonn siad ag obair go crua, agus déanann siad tairbhe dúinn.”
“I am not speaking as Chair of the Health Committee, but, because I have had to condemn racist attacks on our healthcare workers recently, it is important that, during the debate, I record my thanks and appreciation to all who come here to provide treatment, care and compassion through the work that they do in our health service and social care service. Their contribution is invaluable. Without foreign doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and ancillary staff, our healthcare system would collapse. <BR /> <BR />If our public services are stretched — they are — immigration is not the reason. A big part — maybe not the whole part but a big part — is because of our connection to Britain and being tied to 15 years of British Government austerity policies.”
“It is a simple fact that immigration to the North brings with it a positive impact on our economy to the tune of many hundreds of millions of pounds. Foreign workers bring many skills and fill many gaps in our labour market. Without them, folks, our economic prosperity would decline, and so would our creaking public services. <BR /> <BR />I bhfeidhm urlabhraí Sláinte Shinn Féin, b'éigean dom ionsaithe agus bagairtí ciníocha ar chuid dár n-oibrithe cúram sláinte a cháineadh le déanaí agus is bocht an scéal é. Tá sé de cheart ag gach duine a bheith sábháilte ina áit oibre, saor ó imní roimh fhoréigean agus imeaglú.”
“The debate gives me the opportunity to condemn again the racist riots in my constituency in Ballymena in June; the disgraceful attacks on the cars of foreign workers in the town a few weeks ago; and any ongoing scaremongering and intimidation of people in the town or across the constituency and across the North because of the colour of their skin. Those events are a stain on our common humanity and do nothing to help the reputation of Ballymena. The targeting not just of property but of people whose only fault is that they were born elsewhere or look different or speak with unfamiliar accents is abhorrent. <BR /> <BR />On an issue like racism or sectarianism, the leadership given and the tone and nature of public commentary, particularly from political representatives, is vital. Facts are also important.”
“Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo thacaíocht, mo dhlúthpháirtíocht agus mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl do na teaghlaigh agus na daoine sin a thaistil go hÉirinn chun cur lenár sochaí agus iadsan a chuireann fúthu anseo. Níl an ciníochas ná an seicteachas inleithscéil agus níl aon chúis leo inár sochaí. Leithscéal ná cúis ar bith.”
“Minister, I met the North's Royal College of Psychologists (RCPsych) here last week, and we had a very useful discussion about some of the problems, such as retention, recruitment and the lack of a permanent increase in the number of psychiatry training places here since 2007, all of which lead to unsafe staffing levels, workforce problems, problems with service provision and problems with the implementation of our mental health strategy. The Royal College of Psychologists detailed the use of locums, as the Minister has mentioned. Has he done any analysis of the additional cost of using locums to fill gaps in the workforce?”
“The Bill covers a number of complex and sensitive issues, including assessment, removal and banning orders and the use of CCTV. The Committee will have to consider very carefully those complex issues and any possible amendments to the Bill. <BR /> <BR />It is the Committee's intention, if it can do so, to report on the Bill earlier than 27 March 2026, but it asks for this extension. I commend the motion to the House.”
“I thank the Minister for saying in his closing remarks in the debate that he was relaxed about the Committee's intention to seek to extend the Committee Stage to March 2026. <BR /> <BR />The Committee places high importance on the legislation and understands that its primary role is to scrutinise legislation. The Committee has commenced its work at pace, and it issued a call for evidence over the summer. The Committee requests an extension of the Committee Stage to 27 March 2026 to allow it time to scrutinise the clauses of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Bill affects some of our most vulnerable people and, clearly, their families. The Committee will consider how to engage with those who are most impacted on by the Bill.”
“The Adult Protection Bill passed its Second Stage on 30 June 2025 and was referred to the Committee the following working day. The Bill is the result of a number of significant adult safeguarding failures in places such as Dunmurry Manor care home and Muckamore Abbey Hospital. The Bill has 51 clauses and makes provisions in areas such as inquiries; powers of investigation; assessment, removal, banning and protection orders; the establishment of the Adult Protection Board; offences involving ill treatment or wilful neglect; and the regulation of CCTV. <BR /> <BR />In his opening remarks at Second Stage, the Minister outlined the importance of the legislation, which had been five years in the making.”
“The Adult Protection Bill passed its Second —. Sorry. I beg to move”
“Officials also confirmed that, at present, there are no private mental health providers in the North that receive mental health patients as inpatients. Therefore, as the Minister outlined, the amendment will future-proof protections. Members received assurances that, were there to be a private provider of those services in the future, processes would be put in place to ensure compliance. <BR /> <BR />Following the briefing, the Committee agreed that it was content to support the LCM in order to ensure equitable human rights protections for patients here. Sin sin.”
“The Committee had some concerns in relation to the timing of the laying of the LCM and the ability of the Committee and the Assembly to consider and approve or not approve it. At the briefing, officials confirmed that legislative consent is required for the amendment and that the date for the debate on the motion would be in September. Officials also advised that the final reporting stage at Westminster would not be moved until after the Assembly had an opportunity to consider the LCM. <BR /> <BR />Committee members sought further information on the implications of the LCM for patients and services here. Officials confirmed that the amendment relates only to private providers of mental health inpatient services that are paid for by public money.”
“Therefore, the amendment falls within the competence of the Assembly, and the LCM is required to include the North in that part of the Bill. The amendment seeks to designate private providers that deliver publicly funded mental health services as public authorities under section 6(3)(b) of the Human Rights Act when delivering specific services, therefore assuring compliance, as the Minister said, with the European Convention on Human Rights. <BR /> <BR />The Department advised that those who are impacted on by the amendment include mental health patients; private health and care providers that are commissioned now or in the future; the Department of Health and trusts, which are responsible for arranging and paying for services. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was briefed by officials on the amendment to the Mental Health Bill on 19 June 2025.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Health Committee and confirm its support for the motion that the Minister of Health has brought to the House today. <BR /> <BR />The Mental Health Bill looks to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will enhance patient autonomy, rights and transparency; tighten the detention criteria in the 1983 Act and provide for more frequent reviews; limit the period that people with autism or learning disability can be detained; and remove prisons and police stations as places of safety. <BR /> <BR />The Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 governs mental health here, and therefore the Mental Health Bill does not apply. However, on 3 June 2025, an amendment was tabled. That amendment engages the Human Rights Act, which is a reserved matter, but it affects devolved health and social care in the North.”
“Minister, what consultation was done with the LGBTQ+ community in advance of announcing the review? Further to that, what reassurance can you give that community, particularly the trans community, that this will not cause further undue delays in the provision of needed support and services?”
“The deputy First Minister mentioned T:BUC and Executive strategies. However, in light of those incidents, as well as the serious health and environmental concerns and risks that bonfires pose, does she agree that the current unregulated approach is not working and that political action is needed to end the cycle of having illegal, dangerous and hate-filled bonfires?”
“In her initial response, the deputy First Minister touched on the success of the Open. It was great to see that the promotion of the north Antrim coast flowed from the Open during the summer. Will the deputy First Minister give an indication of the projected economic impact of hosting the Open and say whether there are any plans to host it again in the near future?”
“I thank the First Minister for her response. I concur that we need to do much better on all the issues. When it comes to actions, the Executive Office oversees the local change fund, which supports community networks in playing their part in preventing harm, abuse and violence against women and girls. Is the First Minister able to provide an update on the local change fund?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee was briefed by officials on the LCM on 12 June and discussed the use of secondary data and the Bill's cost implications. At that meeting, the Committee agreed to support the Minister's motion. <BR /> <BR />I will now speak as a Sinn Féin MLA. At the Committee, we talked about the use of secondary data. I raised the matter, because it had been raised with me previously with respect to the wider issue of cancer research here. At the Committee, it was stated that an amending Bill on that issue was anticipated in September. It would be helpful if the Minister could clarify in his closing remarks whether that is the case and how he will ensure that there is equitable access to research on rare cancer trials, given the population size in the North. We support the LCM.”
“I welcome the opportunity to confirm, as the Minister said, the Health Committee's support for the motion. <BR /> <BR />The Rare Cancers Bill will introduce measures intended to encourage more research into rare cancers. Obviously, that is to be welcomed. Rare cancers, as has been pointed out, are defined as cancers that affect fewer than one in 2,000 people, and they account for around 20% of cancer diagnoses. However, research funding, clinical trials and treatment development are disproportionately low for such cancers. Patients can therefore face delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options and poor survival rates compared with those for people with more common cancers. Anything that can be done to increase research and clinical trials in that area and improve patient outcomes is therefore very welcome.”
“Key to getting it right is meaningful partnership, working with individuals, families and all the relevant stakeholders. Engagement during the scrutiny of the clauses, including the proposed duties and powers, and following the Bill's implementation will be vital. I look forward to meeting as many people as possible as part of the process.”
“One of the criticisms of the current safeguarding process has been the considerable energy and focus on safeguarding activity with little or no evidence of how it contributed to or improved outcomes for those using the services as well as for staff, care providers, health authorities or the regulator. <BR /> <BR />Today, however, I take the opportunity to recognise the invaluable role provided by independent advocates in supporting the rights and interests of all those who use our Health and Social Care (HSC) services, and I thank them for their contribution to improving standards and the culture of care to date. I also acknowledge all those who have been affected by safeguarding failures. They will understand better than most the importance of the legislation and the need to get it right.”
“We also support the Bill's broad principles, which I have just outlined, and welcome the fact that the principles of the review conducted in response to the care failings at Dunmurry Manor care home are clearly embedded. As the Bill continues to progress, there will be time to debate the individual clauses, many of which we also welcome. We particularly welcome the establishment of an independent adult protection board and improved cooperation processes between organisations and families on protection cases. We will seek further clarity on other clauses during Committee Stage.”
“I therefore encourage the Minister to ensure that there is a detailed implementation plan for the Bill that can be shared with the Committee and Members as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is lengthy and covers a detailed and sensitive area. As a Committee, we look forward to scrutinising it to ensure that vulnerable adults are provided with the highest level of protection and support to live their lives. <BR /> <BR />I will comment briefly in my role as Sinn Féin health spokesperson. Again, I welcome the opportunity to record my party's support for the creation of the Adult Protection Bill, which will provide a single piece of legislation to cover safeguarding, legal protections and the relevant processes for adults and older people who, unfortunately, have experienced abuse.”
“The Department indicated that it will cost approximately £120·8 million over 10 years, with £12 million being the cost in the first year. Officials indicated that no budget is currently identified for the Bill and that resource will need to be found from within existing budget lines. That causes some concern for members, because, at the end of the process, we could have a Bill that will sit on a shelf for a number of years until the funding is found. The Committee needs to see a clear implementation plan for the Bill that will show what actions can be taken with full funding and what actions can be taken forward if less resource is available. Members want to realise the benefits of the Bill for vulnerable adults as soon as possible, as we do not want another scandal.”
“At our meeting on 19 June, members discussed a number of issues with officials, including, at clause 4, the inclusion of the Prison Service in the duty to report and cooperate in inquiries; the need to ensure that there is no duplication in the system; and the need for clarity in relation to investigations. We also discussed time frames for the duty to report and the duty to investigate. We also talked about the definition of "harm" and the ability to deal with emerging harm types and about the regulations on the use of CCTV and how they will be brought forward by the Department and considered by the Committee and the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />A significant area of discussion in Committee was on resourcing and implementing the Bill.”
“I thank officials for their engagement with Committee members and staff on the Bill over the past weeks, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the coming months as the Committee scrutinises the Bill.”