Robin Swann
North Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his detailed statement. I know how passionate he is about the subject and how many times he has brought it to the Executive.”
“It has been reported that today will potentially be the warmest day of the year. As we move into the summer and our summer holidays, I want to raise public awareness of wildfires across Northern Ireland, which have been detrimental to farmland and our environment over the past number of years.”
“Wildfires are still having a detrimental impact on our environment and, occasionally, on livestock, but that reduction shows the impact of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's proactive approach to educating the general public and engaging with rural communities and schools on its fire safety message, which is to stay alert, not…”
“There has been a lot of talk of sport in this place over the past few days, with everybody concentrating on UEFA. One sport that is going on across Northern Ireland at the minute is cross-community and goes across all age groups without fear, favour or distinction: pigeon racing.”
“I want to put on record that, since this place passed the amendment that recognised pigeon racing as a sport under the 2016 Act, over the past five years, pigeon racing clubs across Northern Ireland have been able to obtain £113,000 of rates rebates through the sports and recreation rate relief, allowing many of those clubs to continue ra…”
“There was much coverage on social media over the weekend of an incident in Staines in England, in which a police car rammed a young calf to bring it under control. It has restarted the conversation about animal cruelty. <BR /> <BR />I am dealing with a specific case in my constituency.”
The complete record
Every one of 5,640 lines we hold for Robin Swann, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 28 of 113.
“I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-fourth North/South Ministerial Council meeting in the health and food safety sectoral format, which was held at the North/South Ministerial Council joint secretariat offices in Armagh and by videoconference on 14 October. Junior Minister Declan Kearney MLA and I represented the Northern Ireland Executive at the meeting, while the Irish Government were represented by Stephen Donnelly TD, Minister for Health, and Roderic O'Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Minister Donnelly chaired the meeting. This statement has been agreed with junior Minister Kearney, and I am making it on behalf of us both. <BR /> <BR />The following topics were discussed and decisions were taken where appropriate.”
“I thank the Member for his point. We have an ongoing review process on the issuing of certificates. Especially regarding those under 18, we have had engagement with the Children's Commissioner to make sure that we make everything as easy, as accessible and as child-friendly as we can for those who have to utilise and download them. As I am sure the Member will be aware, some of those in the under-18 category will find it easier to download and utilise a certificate than he or I would. It is about making sure that we utilise them in the venues where they may be applicable, should they be applicable, and it is also about making sure that they are applicable for the people who need and want them for international travel.”
“Again, I do not have detailed numbers with me, but I will get them to the Member in writing. One of the main advantages that we saw when we opened the post-COVID recovery centre at Whiteabbey was that it was allied-health-professional and nurse-led. We saw quite a number of patients using that support, and other trusts sent patients there to ease the pressures that they were facing. I do not have specific numbers, but I will get back to the Member on that.”
“In answer to Mr Dickson, a specific task-and-finish group is looking at the future-proofing of Whiteabbey and how we can utilise that facility. The Member will be aware that, a number of years ago, it looked as though Whiteabbey would be mothballed, but, as I have consistently said, we need every square foot of our estate to support the people whom we need to support. A number of avenues are being looked at to see how it can be used post-COVID. It has been used for rehabilitation, and it could be used for a wide range of services, including orthopaedics and even day procedures. We are looking at whether we can do something similar to what was done at Lagan Valley Hospital. There is a wide scale of bids and options for what Whiteabbey can and will be post-COVID, but we have to get there first.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am sure that I will come back to Mr McHugh's supplementary.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Under-18s do not need a COVID certificate to attend any venue at this time. They may require one if they are travelling to a foreign country for a holiday and that country requires visitors to have one. There is an application process, and if the Member goes to the Department's website and follows the nidirect link on how to apply for COVID certification, he will be able to access that. Under the current regulations, there is no requirement for anyone under 18 to produce a certificate.”
“I agree. That is why we concentrated on publishing the elective care strategy in June and asked for the funding to go alongside it. That was part of the bid that my Department made in the forthcoming Budget process. As part of the preparation work for that bid, we looked at what needs to be invested in and the work that needs to be done to redress the 10 years of underinvestment in our health service that saw those waiting lists increase prior to COVID. The problems that we are facing and the waiting lists that we are trying to challenge and bring down are not due solely to COVID but to the 10 years of underinvestment in our health service.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Like I did for his colleague Mr Buchanan, who raised the issue of orthopaedics, I refer him to the elective care strategy that was published in June this year, because it mentions a number of mega clinics, some of which are for cataracts, and looks at having one-stop shops for the larger numbers of patients who are coming through. The Member will be aware that we undertake an extensive piece of cataract work through the independent sector. It is about how we challenge each of our waiting lists to meet the needs of patients. I do not have specifics with me on the number of cataract patients who are on waiting lists, where they are and how long they have been waiting, but I will get back to the Member in writing on that.”
“<BR /> <BR />Agencies were written to on 5 November, and the deadline for their applications is 31 December, so they have another two to three weeks to put in applications before the opportunity closes.”
“I thank the Member for that question. He will be aware through the communication that he talks about that the process for agency workers has still to come forward. As I said, it comes forward under phase 2. Some 15,737 staff who work in care homes and domiciliary care homes have already had their payments processed and approved. That is the equivalent of over £9 million processed and paid to those workers. That comes from 307 applications. Of the applications that have come forward from our GPs, community pharmacies and out-of-hours contractors, 1,408 applications have been approved, and that is the equivalent of another £10 million payment.”
“Further work is ongoing to finalise arrangements to deliver the payment in the second phase to the remaining categories of the independent sector, which will include personal assistants, as well as those employed directly through payments. Details of phase 2 will be communicated shortly.”
“I thank the Member and refer him to the answer that I gave to Mr McCrossan on the criteria that were established and how they were set. It is not new. It was published from the beginning so that agencies were aware of it. The criteria for eligibility for the scheme include which healthcare workers are available. A special recognition payment has been made pro rata for work undertaken on behalf of Health and Social Care, in regard to work that needs to be done as well as the specialists there. <BR /> <BR />Payments to staff in the independent sector will be taken forward in two phases. The first phase will see payments made to eligible staff working in care.”
“As I said to the Member, it will take the entirety of those five years to get us to that point. There will be waypoints, where we will assess the success of the various initiatives. However, the Member will be aware that my Department regularly publishes the length of waiting lists across all sectors, so that Members and the public can see the direction of travel. It is unfortunate that, due to the action of some, we see steps that could be taken to reduce COVID-19 pressures not brought fully to bear. There is still opposition to that. We could alleviate more of the pressures that the health service is under and see more of the normal, day-to-day work take place.”
“I thank the Member. As a constituency MLA like me, he will be well aware that the extensive waiting lists, especially for orthopaedic surgery, predate the pandemic, because there was a challenge. The Member will be aware that, in June this year, I published the elective care strategy, which sets out a number of strands. I hope that, with financial support and political backing, in a five-year period, we will have those waiting lists down to a minimum of one year. That will take extensive input not just from our in-house capacity but by utilising the independent sector and cross-border initiatives. Procedures and pathways are already established and published under the elective care strategy.”
“I have indicated to Executive colleagues that I intend to bring a paper to them in the new year. I have also informed the Secretary of State that that will be my intention with regard to the work that is ongoing and the duty placed on us to meet the 2021 directions laid by the Secretary of State.”
“I thank the Member for the question on the private Member's Bill that is proceeding through the House. She will be aware that the Abortion Services Directions 2021, which came into force on 23 July, will require the Department to have commissioned abortion services in place by 31 March 2022 in line with the 2020 regulations. With regard to the outworking of the private Member's Bill, I have indicated to the Executive that, before I can bring any further papers to them, I need to see the outworkings of that legislation and how it may impact on any commissioning of services that my Department may deem to be necessary to meet the directions.”
“While it is appreciated that some individual agency workers may not meet the qualifying criteria, the design of the scheme reflects my intention to recognise the contribution of agency workers on longer-term placements. The inclusion of ad hoc shifts would also introduce a significant risk of double payment to individuals, as many employees will work a full-time contract under HSC employment and pick up additional shifts through agency working.”
“I thank the Member. When the special recognition payment was developed, I specifically requested that the scheme be extended to include agency workers on longer-term placements. I did not have to do that, but I did. The intention was to reward those on temporary contracts, whose contributions are equally valued. The eligibility criteria for this are that the individual workers must be covering one post for a period of 12 weeks or more and must be on a salary commensurate with the role being covered. The 12-week qualifying period adopts the same principle established under employment law for equal treatment for agency workers, and I am sure that the Member will agree that there should be no prioritisation of some staff working arrangements over others.”
“I thank the Member, although she has travelled far from Ballymoney in her supplementary. I thank her for raising another positive development and announcement that has been made by my Department and the Western Trust with regard to the progress of that work. It has been long awaited and long asked for by many political representatives across the board, including my party colleague Rosemary Barton. The Member will be aware that a press release has been published that sets out the timeline. I apologise to her: I do not have those details in front of me, because it is not a supplementary that I was expecting after a question on the Robinson. I will get back to the Member in writing.”
“The Member will be aware of how the Robinson trust is constructed in regard to that. As I said to the previous Member, the cost of the refurbishment is being met primarily by trust charitable funds and the Robinson board of trustees. With regard to the specifics, I will have to get back to the Member with an exact figure. From my brief, however, I believe that the cost is being met by the trust charitable funds and funds from the Robinson board of trustees.”
“The board takes a keen interest in the strategic development of the hospital and the site. I welcome the fact that the Robinson board and the trust endeavour to work in partnership to enhance the site for the benefit of the community and actually future-proof the hospital.”
“I thank the Member for his point about the importance of the contribution that the Robinson Memorial Hospital makes to healthcare provision in our constituency. I have often said in this place that we now need every square foot of our Health estate. That is why, like him, I welcome the refurbishing and upgrading of the Robinson Memorial Hospital because it is an indication of the commitment to the hospital's future. That was not present a number of years ago when we looked at the reconfiguration of provision across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The business case for the refurbishment is set at £2·2 million. Therefore, the investment is subject to change, following tender returns. As the Member indicated, the cost of the refurbishment is being met primarily by trust charitable funds and funds from the Robinson board of trustees.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The planning and design for the refurbishment of the Robinson Memorial Hospital is progressing well, and the implementation plan is being finalised. <BR /> <BR />The refurbishment will reconfigure the footprint of the hospital to provide 16 in-patient beds, which will be made up of six single bedrooms with en-suite facilities, one two-bed room with en-suite facilities, and two four-bed gender-specific wards with en-suite facilities. The hospital will also undergo extensive updating throughout to improve storage areas, office accommodation and all patient areas. Works are due to commence in April 2022 and, we think, will take up to six months.”
“I thank the Member for making that point. At the beginning, we concentrated our vaccination programme on those who were in care homes and also on those who were housebound. Trusts continue to work closely with GPs, who are responsible for identifying housebound patients. The prescription of the vaccine and its administration are then coordinated by GP-aligned district nursing teams. <BR /> <BR />COVID-19 vaccination has been, and remains, a priority for trust teams, which have supported the wider vaccination programme to date. To date, trusts have administered 2,653 boosters to the housebound. GPs administer a small number of vaccines directly to their housebound patients, for example, if they are attending their home for a clinical assessment.”
“There was a difference between us and other United Kingdom regions, but we are catching up now. In the period from 1 November to today, we have had a 3·3% increase in those who are eligible coming forward for their vaccination, and that far outstrips what is happening anywhere else.”
“I thank the Member for that point. They will not just be taken on with equal vigour, because we have already seen a stepping-up of the programme, to the point at which we are able to announce walk-ins for the over-30s. Unfortunately, however, more people are turning up to some sites than we have capacity for. I ask people to look at social media and trust websites to make sure that they get the most up-to-date information on when walk-ins will be available at those trust sites. They also have the option of using community pharmacies or GP practices. <BR /> <BR />To put things into perspective, we have delivered over 100,000 vaccinations, including boosters, in the past week, which is an average of around 13,000 a day. That is well up there with the figures for when our vaccination programme was running at its most efficient.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Member will be aware that a number of meetings took place over the weekend between my Department, and GPs, Community Pharmacy and trust officials on how we take that next big step to get as many people as we possibly can vaccinated and provided with a booster over the next few weeks.”
“I thank the Member. Not only are we exploring how to train additional staff but the Member will be aware that, when we established the mass vaccination centres, we were using dentists, vets, staff from community pharmacies and anybody who would come forward to take up the additional training. We are currently considering whether to utilise medical students to support our vaccination teams, and we are also considering drafting a further Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request so that we can seek support from the Ministry of Defence, not just to bring in more vaccinators but to get logistical support, if necessary.”
“I want to thank GPs, community pharmacies and the trust vaccinators for really stepping up and for the engagements that we had over the past weekend to discuss the additional steps that I hope to announce soon about the further enhancement of delivery.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On the specific question of access to GP practices, I know that, up until very recently, they were running vaccination clinics by appointment. They will soon be open for walk-in vaccinations so that we can accelerate the booster programme. <BR /> <BR />I am aware of some of the examples that the Member has given, including that of car parks having been used to deliver drive-through vaccinations. That is about getting as many people through as quickly as possible. Currently, the real drive is to make sure that as many people as is practicably possible receive their booster dose.”
“Once appointed, the vaccinators will be available to assist the trusts, GPs and community pharmacies, where necessary, in delivering the vaccination programme.”
“In addition to that and to help with updating the vaccine management system, 38 administrative support personnel have been provided to assist GPs with the administration of the programme. Those staff have been trained on the use of the vaccine management system, and the governance arrangements have been updated. That resource will be mobilised to help practices with additional administrative support needs. <BR /> <BR />A second workforce appeal for vaccinators is currently in place. To date, there have been 230 applicants for the band 5 positions and 283 applicants for the band 4 positions. That is a total of 513 potential additional vaccinators. Arrangements have been put in place for those applicants to progress through the HR processes, which will be undertaken as soon quickly as possible.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 3 and 6 together and ask for a bit of additional time. The leadership of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and my Department hold weekly meetings with trust and GP representatives. Those meetings afford us the opportunity to identify and address the most pressing needs faced by primary and secondary care in delivering the programme. <BR /> <BR />To assist primary care, vaccinators have been provided on request to ensure that COVID-19 vaccination clinics can be held. To date, 139 GP practices have requested 1,626 vaccinators to support 953 sessions. Since the outset of the booster programme, supporting vaccinators have worked over 8,000 hours to assist GPs with delivering the booster programme.”
“The Member will also be aware that, just as we are seeing additional pressures on our waiting lists owing to COVID, that is replicated in other regions. The spare capacity that we are able to tap into or purchase is not as readily available or as large as it has been in the past or that we would like it to be.”
“I thank the Member for the point. She will be aware of the regional prioritisation operational group that I established in order to make sure that we look at patients on waiting lists across the entirety of Northern Ireland, rather than just in specific trusts. I am aware of the current issue in the Western Trust with the specific service that she mentioned. It really is about the regionalisation of our health service so that there are no inequalities across different trusts. <BR /> <BR />The Member will also be aware of our elective care strategy that was published in June this year that makes sure that we not only utilise the capacity in Northern Ireland but look outside the region so that, if we have the ability to utilise other services outside Northern Ireland, we do that.”
“I thank the Member for her point about the national audit. Our cancer strategy lays out the train of work that we want to do. It is about making sure that we have the systems in place so that, should we join that audit, we have the ability to capture data and are not feeding false information into important work. I will refer the Member not only to the work that we want to do under the cancer strategy but to the streamlining of processes and data capture that the Encompass project will enable us to do, so that, if we want to do a national or even a regional audit, we have the ability to pull down the data for patients that is specific to them.”
“With regard to the cancer strategy, which I referred to in another answer, it is important that we have that core data so that we can not only best target services and treatments but see where we can do more.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He has submitted a number of questions for written answer. I apologise for the delay in answering those, but we are getting round to doing so. <BR /> <BR />On the better correlation of data across the entire health service, that is what the Encompass programme — the new digitalisation of all our records — is meant to do. Again, we need long-term strategic investment so that we can get read across, not just among all trusts but from primary care to secondary care, so that we can identify additional treatments and services that existing patients need to access related to their initial diagnoses. Again, it is about updating the data capture management systems that we have in the current system. Encompass will allow us to do that when it is implemented.”
“With better interaction and communication due to the pressures of the pandemic, the communication and interaction between primary and secondary care is a lot better to make sure our patients get seen as quickly and as effectively as possible. <BR /> <BR />The Member will also be aware of the cancer strategy that has been published. I am thankful that the Minister of Finance has indicated that the forthcoming Budget will see that funded in full.”
“I thank the Member for that crucial point. He will be fully aware of the additional services that our health service has provided and the additional energy and commitment that it has shown over the past 20 months to make sure that all patients are seen as quickly and efficiently as possible. The interaction between primary care and secondary care is one of the things that has improved during the pandemic. When I first took up this post, I visited hospitals and GPs, and one of their biggest frustrations was the "dear colleague" letter: those in primary care were writing to their secondary care colleagues but did not know exactly who they were talking to.”
“The Member will be aware that the 14-day target was being widely breached even before the pandemic.”
“While the November 2021 figures highlight that there were 697 patients awaiting breast screening as part of the three-year breast screening programme, the length of delay is down from the five months that it was in September 2020. Additional screening clinics are also planned for this month and next month. The Northern Trust is working with the Health and Social Care Board and regional colleagues to ensure equity of access across the region. <BR /> <BR />The breast screening mobile units move across the Northern Trust area in a set sequence so that women do not have to travel out of their area for their scan. There has been no delay to the high-risk breast cancer screening programme. The Northern Trust's 14-day waiting time performance standards for breast services were 18% in April but increased to 100% in July and 92% in August.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Northern Trust breast care service provides a screening and a symptomatic service. That encompasses specialist care for patients with breast cancer and non-cancer conditions. The trust continues to receive a high volume of referrals and every effort is made to see patients as soon as possible. A range of actions has been implemented to alleviate pressures on services in the Northern Trust, and they have already made a significant impact. Those actions include the enhanced care response team pilot, which has had a positive impact by reducing ED attendances and avoiding admissions. <BR /> <BR />The provision of additional breast screening clinics and a decrease in appointment times have already made a significant impact on the Northern Trust's breast cancer services.”
“One of the limiting factors with the 300 nursing training places that we commissioned over the last number of years came not just from providing sufficient classroom time but from making sure that the students got placements in hospitals to get the practical experience because their courses are made up of both parts.”
“I thank the Member for his point. It is an important point, because I remember there being the same conversations, not that long ago, about student teachers. The ask came from the Department of Education, but it is the Department for the Economy — the then Department for Employment and Learning — that commissions training places. There is a close working relationship between the Department for the Economy and my Department, especially when it comes to medical placements, to make sure that those courses are best placed and supported financially as well. A review is going on at Ulster University of the placement of those students. It is critical that those courses and students are in the right place, so that they get not only the teaching that they need but access to practice.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It will make a difference, but we have to wait for the students to come through their training and out the other side of their courses. We will not see the real benefit for another 16 to 18 months. The three years with an additional 1,325 nursing student places in Northern Ireland will have a great impact on our nursing workforce. It will not just make up for the shortfall that we saw over the last number of years when numbers were cut but will boost and bolster the current workforce. It will be a driver for morale to see the new entry come into the profession. It is a key and important profession, and one that we should support.”
“In the broad scheme of things, student loans and grants fall under the Department for the Economy. However, there is a close working relationship between my Department and the Department for the Economy, especially on how we support medical students. The Member will be aware of the additional places that we put into the medical school at Magee. I am content that we continue to support the graduate entry medicine courses at Magee, so that we can supply a future pool of not just doctors but GPs, especially for the west.”
“I thank the Member for her point. During the early stages of the pandemic, we took steps to recognise the students who came forward for some of the work and placements with a £2,000 payment. The key part of the Member's question relates to the National Union of Students' (NUS) Support Student Health Heroes campaign. I am aware of the ongoing campaign by the NUS and the calls for support. I have received correspondence from the National Union of Students - Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI) and MLAs on that matter. I note the important issues raised by that campaign, and I will provide a detailed response in due course. Last week, the Chair of the Health Committee invited me to meet them, and I have agreed to do that.”
“Support may also be available to medical students who are undertaking a one-year intercalated degree as part of their undergraduate degree course. <BR /> <BR />Social work students receive financial support through the Department's student incentive scheme, which provides eligible students with an annual payment of £4,000 and an allowance of £500 towards travel costs that are associated with practice placements. The Department also pays tuition fees for up to 20 students a year on a two-year MSc course in physician associate studies at Ulster University. <BR /> <BR />The support arrangements across all those healthcare programmes commissioned by my Department are kept under continual review, and the evidence shows that the current support arrangements appear to be effective in attracting and retaining quality students.”
“<BR /> <BR />Students who are on commissioned allied health professional courses from Ulster University, including the new paramedic science BSc course, which welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2021, have their tuition fees paid by the Department for the duration of the course. Students may also be able to access a range of means-tested and non-means-tested maintenance grants and loans that are available through the Student Loans Company, subject to their meeting the relevant criteria. <BR /> <BR />NI-domiciled medical and dental students undertaking their studies at a UK medical or dental school are provided with tuition fee support, and may also be eligible for grants towards their living and travel costs on entering the fifth year of a first degree course in medicine or dentistry.”