Alan Robinson
East Londonderry · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“As the school year comes to a close, 2026 will see the loss of two high-profile educators in Roe Valley. Those two individuals have given many valuable years of service to the education system.”
“<BR /> <BR />Marshall and Nicola, I hope that you begin your well-earned rest with immense pride in all that you have accomplished. Your schools will undoubtedly miss you, but your legacy will continue through every pupil whose life was enriched because of your years of service.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the two individuals led very different schools, they shared a calling: to provide the best education for young people and to inspire those around them. They have been a steady, reassuring presence for generations of children and trusted colleagues to their staff.”
“He has been an incredibly popular head of school and has the respect of many across the education system in the Province. I wish him well and trust that he will enjoy having more time for the sports that he is so deeply fond of, including rugby.”
“I thank the Member for that response. I very much welcome the addition of a padded protective area, which is something that I had lobbied for. I am keen to know whether there are any plans to increase the number of Changing Places facilities in Parliament Buildings in order to improve accessibility for staff and visitors.”
“Like others, I support the motion. For many individuals and couples across Northern Ireland, the dream of becoming parents is accompanied by years of emotional heartbreak. Couples who have undergone that journey will tell you that it is the uncertainty that kills them.”
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“To do it right, it needs to be paired with an increase in medical capacity, improved patient flow systems, an increase in the number of available beds, standardisation of guidance across all health and social care trusts and implementation of the recommendations of the Audit Office report. The health service can no longer afford fragmented practices that vary from one trust to another. Consistency and acting like one trust are essential.”
“If that threshold is breached, the patient's care is formally transferred to the hospital and the ambulance crew is released to respond to new emergencies. That policy is supposed to prioritise patient flow, which is something that we have all been calling for, and to ensure that ambulance crews are not held hostage due to bottlenecks in hospitals. It also creates accountability in the healthcare system by making it clear that patients must be accepted into hospital in a timely manner. Hospitals can no longer be car parks for ambulances. Implementing the W45 policy here in the Province would send the message that we want to see true efficiency, we value our front-line staff and, above all, we value the safety of our patients. However, we have to recognise that the policy alone is not enough.”
“Bundling very ill people into taxis and the back seats of cars should never be the norm. How can we ever forget the story from December 2024 of a popular County Antrim man who died when his wife was forced to transport him to hospital in their car due to there being no ambulance available? Our hearts go out to that family and the many others who are in the same position. <BR /> <BR />My party is happy to explore the introduction of the W45 policy, which the London Ambulance Service has implemented to reduce delays and enhance patient care. The evidence points to the W45 policy being a targeted, efficient approach that aims to significantly reduce ambulance handover delays, in that it requires that no ambulance crew be kept waiting at a hospital for more than 45 minutes.”
“<BR /> <BR />From January to August last year, there were no Saturday nights when the Province had a full rota of emergency ambulance crews. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service aims to have 52 crews out on a typical Saturday. On three occasions, just 36 were in place. The impact is cascading and far-reaching. Emergency response times are compromised, hospital capacity is choked and healthcare staff are overwhelmed. Waiting on an ambulance is a horrible experience. I have been there twice in as many years, waiting on one for my father, who had suddenly become ill. On both occasions, his wait was relatively short in the grand scheme of things, but how stressful must it be to have to wait hours on an ambulance for a loved one when time is of the essence?”
“The report also makes 11 individual recommendations, calling for trusts to work together, better regulation of the private ambulance sector and well-functioning handover zones at each of the major EDs. The report painted a bleak picture of all nine hospitals having seen their handover performance fall between 2019 and 2024. It points to a Province that is in a crisis of patient safety and resource management. The backlog at our hospitals means that ambulance crews are stuck waiting and unable to respond to new emergencies. At the end of January, the Minister advised us that there is active recruitment for over 1,000 nursing vacancies. We must also ensure that there is staff retention and recruitment in the Ambulance Service so that vital skills there are not lost.”
“At a time when it is being reported that money will be the cure for some of our ills, it is also being reported that £50 million has been lost through Ambulance Service inefficiency since 2019. It gets worse with the high reliance on private ambulances. Just 20 private ambulances were required in 2019, rising to 1,100 in 2023-24 at a cost of £3·6 million, yet handover delays continue to increase. Significant costs are also cited for ambulance staff overtime, which has been running up to £37·8 million since 2019. Those are just some of the negatives. <BR /> <BR />How can that be fixed? The report recommends fixing patient flow. It also recommends implementing the 46 recommendations in the 'Getting It Right First Time' (GIRFT) report and to use the best practice that is in place in other parts of the UK.”
“Ambulance waiting times are one symptom of the challenges that the health service faces. Without good patient flow through the hospital system, more patients cannot be admitted to EDs, while sick patients in ambulances cannot get into hospitals because well patients cannot leave. Unless the issue of delayed discharge is resolved, the Ambulance Service will only ever be operating at a fraction of its real capacity. <BR /> <BR />I am on record saying in the Chamber that, when you begin to fix the wider social care system, you begin to fix the health system in the Province. The number-one reason for delayed complex discharges is that no domiciliary care packages are available. That is why my party added that to our amendment. The report laid bare the state of the health service for that sector.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the mover of the motion. <BR /> <BR />I begin by saying something that none of us in the House should ever tire of hearing, and it is that, day after day and week after week, dedicated paramedics, ambulance crews and all other front-line healthcare workers go well over and above their role in order to save lives and to provide comfort in people's moments of crisis. <BR /> <BR />Let us be honest, however: their ability to do so is being increasingly and dangerously compromised. The Northern Ireland Audit Office's report, which was published this month, made clear the interconnection between ambulance handovers and pressures in the health service over hospital bed space and over delays in discharging patients.”
“My understanding is that a request has been submitted for a civic reception, which would be a just and fitting recognition. The team comprised Harry Smyth; Jacob MacArthur; Curtis McIlmoyle; Zac Maguire; Brandon Cole; Isaac Cole; Arthur Hylands; Ross Carmichael; David McCurry; Reuben McCurry; Matthew McMaster; Luca Porter; M J Riley; Alan Pearson; Marc Marten; Danny Colhoun; Otis Irwin; Nathan Carlisle; Cameron Lindsay; Tom Wilson; and Oliver Millar. <BR /> <BR />Limavady High School always strives to be the very best, but these boys, I can proudly say, are the very best.”
“Last Wednesday, while working in my constituency office, I was heavily distracted, because I was closely following the Limavady High School under-16 boys who were competing against Bangor Academy. Both teams were desperate to win the Danske Bank High Schools Trophy at the Kingspan Stadium. <BR /> <BR />I am not a rugby man. Football was always my thing, but, as a Limavady High School old boy, I try, where possible, to take an interest in events that happen within and outside the school. The Limavady boys did their school and the local area proud, eventually running out winners with tries from Brandon Cole, Harry Smyth and a penalty from man of the match, Arthur Hylands, along with two conversions. I convey my personal congratulations to the entire team, its coaches and the school.”
“The Minister also said that the figures before us are unacceptable. Furthermore, he talked about the workforce challenges in the Southern Trust, but it would have been good to hear about whether it would have been possible to draft in health visitors from other trusts to fill the void. It was good to hear that a refreshed Healthy Child, Healthy Future framework will be published in May. We look forward to your returning to the House so that we can debate the matter in more detail. <BR /> <BR />I very much appreciate everyone's contributions today, and I thank Diane Dodds for tabling the motion with me.”
“He said that he hoped that the issues would not occur again. We all concur. Colin McGrath from the Opposition said that children should always have the best start in life, in keeping with the theme of others who took part in the debate. Órlaithí Flynn talked about the postcode lottery, and the importance of Sure Start. Peter Martin my party colleague also talked about the first 1,000 days and about those starting in the womb. He also talked at length about early intervention. Gerry Carroll talked about this issue's being another crisis in the health service. He said that children should not be made to pay for the problems in the health service. <BR /> <BR />We are grateful, Minister, for your saying that the target needs to be 100% and that children should have the best possible start in life. That is the crux of the motion.”
“She said that children are precious, which could be the most critical thing that has been said in the Chamber today. Diane also spoke of there being no magic wall between trusts. I am sure that the Minister agrees that all trusts should work and think as one, particularly when it comes to this important issue. <BR /> <BR />Michelle Guy, in proposing the amendment, talked in depth about the Healthy Child, Healthy Future framework. She also highlighted the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child's life. I am sure that all of us who are parents agree. Philip McGuigan, the Chair of the Health Committee, focused on early detection's being so vital and on the importance of the motion, for which we are all grateful. My Health Committee colleague Alan Chambers talked about the importance of the outcomes for children.”
“The postcode lottery flies in the face of the aim of ensuring that every child has an equal chance of a healthy start in life. The Minister must ensure — I am glad, as I said earlier, that he has committed to it — that all health and social care trusts ensure that every child receives their one-year-old health review within the accepted time frame. The Department cannot allow another year in which nearly half of the children in one health and social care trust miss out on their health review. <BR /> <BR />I will comment on some of the contributions. My eloquent colleague Diane Dodds talked about the importance of the debate. She said that, although it is important for the Department of Health, it is an issue that cuts across a number of Departments.”
“How many times have we heard it said in the House — we have heard it here today — that early intervention is key to improving outcomes? That could not be truer for children. Studies consistently show that, if developmental delays are identified and addressed early, it leads to significantly better outcomes in education, mental health and overall well-being. Missing out on health reviews means that developmental delays may go unnoticed until a child starts nursery or even primary school, by which time interventions are much more difficult, more costly and less effective. <BR /> <BR />The disparity between different health and social care trusts raises concerns about equity in access to services. Why should a child in one part of the Province have a dramatically lower chance of receiving a health review than a child in another?”
“Their work ensures that concerns are dealt with and that families do not fall through the sometimes complicated health system. For many parents, especially those facing socio-economic challenges, health visitors offer reassurance, advice and signposting to services that can make an enormous difference in a child's early years. <BR /> <BR />Missing out on a health review could see some children go without the support that they require, leading to greater difficulties down the line, such as with speech and language development, motor skills and overall well-being. Missing the one-year-old health review can also be a lost opportunity to detect early signs of developmental delay, to support a family struggling with postnatal mental health, or to provide information on immunisation and nutrition.”
“The fact that 15% of children across Northern Ireland miss their health visitor review at that key stage and the fact that, in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, that figure has soared to a shocking 46% should be sending alarm bells to the Minister's Department. As has been said, missing the one-year-old review could well lead to many lost opportunities to detect developmental delays and the ability to provide an early intervention that could change the trajectory of a child's life. <BR /> <BR />Whilst health visitors are responsible for monitoring a child's growth and development, they are also an important support pillar for parents. They provide guidance on nutrition, sleep, immunisation and mental health, and they are often the first to identify when a child may need additional support services.”
“OK. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I very much appreciate all the contributions, and I thank everyone who contributed. I thank the proposer of the Alliance amendment, which focuses on recommendations that remain outstanding from the 'A Fair Start' report and the independent review of education. As was said earlier, we are content with the amendment. <BR /> <BR />The health of young people in Northern Ireland is certainly an issue that the Minister's Department needs to get a grip of, and he has certainly given commitments today that that is what he intends to do. The one-year-old health review is key in the early years of a child's life. It helps to identify potential health concerns and provide parents with guidance and support, but it also ensures that children have the best possible start in life.”
“Does the First Minister agree that having good relations with the US Administration, regardless of which party occupies the White House, is crucial to the economy of the Province in FDI terms and for local companies that wish to set up in the United States?”
“The road to the final was not easy, with the team having battled with Friends' School in the semi-final, eventually winning the contest 12-10, and, at 27-21, the team won against Portadown College in the quarter-final. My understanding is that few, if any, tickets for the game remain such has been the response from the school's pupils, with supporters' buses set to be packed. <BR /> <BR />I congratulate the team and its coaches for getting this far. I say, "Well done" to all the boys. Enjoy this very special moment in your lives. They should all be very proud of themselves, and, from the Northern Ireland Assembly, Parliament Buildings, I wish you all the very best for your big day on Wednesday, and I hope that you bring the trophy home.”
“I want to wish good luck to Limavady Grammar School's 1st XV rugby team, which will pitch itself in battle against Ballyclare High School at the Kingspan Stadium this Wednesday in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Bowl final.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. What longer-term support will there be, Minister, for those in the greatest need to get what they need?”
“While the Bill may have unintended consequences, saving tens of thousands of lives, deterring any young person from taking up the habit, as I did, and reducing tobacco-related cancers and heart disease, while shifting healthcare from sickness to prevention, are the reasons that my party will support the LCM and its broad principle.”
“<BR /> <BR />New Zealand brought forward a similar Bill under a previous Prime Minister, but that has been reversed under the new Government, who have opted to up awareness and offer practical tools to help people stop smoking. Some might say that we should follow that course. However, New Zealand's Minister of Health has cited that its smoking rates are around half of those of the UK and that it is already well on the way to achieving its smoke-free goals with less than 5% of its population being daily smokers. Many will also say that the big tobacco industry influenced the decision to go into reverse gear. Either way, we cannot allow that to happen.”
“Sensible, evidence-based and well-thought-out moves to address the outworkings of smoking, including the cost to our hospitals — over £200 million per year — and the deaths of 2,000 of our people each year, are to be welcomed. That has been borne out in the UK-wide consultation, in which 79% of respondents were in favour. Yes, my party welcomes sensible approaches that aim to stop addiction before it starts, especially in young people. Legislating to prevent dangers to our young people is no bad thing. Yes, we need to educate and raise awareness among children and adults, and not just on tobacco; we could start into the dangers of alcohol and unhealthy food. That will be for another day.”
“All evidence points to the increase in children, in primary and secondary school, using vapes, with further emerging evidence that their usage is affecting children's ability to learn. Nicotine dependence can cause problems with attention and mood, and also sleep issues. There are simply no benefits for non-smokers who vape. Illegal vape products have been found to contain lead and nickel within the soldering of the pipe, pushing those substances into the lungs of young people. We must always remember that the demand for tobacco products is fuelled by addiction. When you reduce the availability of these products, you reduce potential addiction and demand.”
“We would not want the offer of legal vapes to be lost, therefore pushing the smoker who is trying to quit back to the dreaded fag. The unintended consequences of the Bill concern me a little. What are the views of shopkeepers and their thoughts on the Bill, especially about trying, in the future, to say to a grown adult, for example, in their thirties or forties, that they need to produce identification and telling them that they are too young to purchase tobacco? What will be the implications for shopkeepers when violence against businesses is at an all-time high? <BR /> <BR />Vapes are disgracefully marketed in such a way that they are appealing to young people, with brightly coloured packaging, branded with cartoon characters and flavours that make them as appealing as sweets.”
“The Youth Assembly broadly welcomed the Bill and was supportive of attempts to create a smoke-free generation. The Committee did not, however, hear from the smoking or vaping industry, other than series of emails from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) warning that, under the UK's withdrawal agreement from the EU, the Bill may not apply here. We need to know whether the Bill can apply in the Province. We need to know whether all four corners of the UK will have a generational smoking ban. We encourage the Minister to detail his discussions in that regard and seek out a definitive response. <BR /> <BR />I can only surmise that the outworkings of the Bill, if enacted, will see the closure of a raft of vape shops on our high streets. I will, however, say that vapes being used by adult smokers to try to quit smoking is no bad thing.”
“It has been linked to diabetes and dementia as well as stillbirths and miscarriages, and it damages teeth and gums. Quite simply, there are no good uses for tobacco. No one can argue against the significant harms caused by smoking. <BR /> <BR />During the recent debate in Westminster, it was noted that smoking costs the average smoker £2,500 a year, which is money that those people could spend on other goods and services. The Health Committee has had a number of presentations, all supporting moves to address smoking and vaping in the young, and has had written representation from Diabetes UK, Asthma + Lung UK, the British Medical Association (BMA) and Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, which kindly provided briefing materials.”
“Like other Members, as a former 30-a-day smoker, I can stand in the House and say that quitting over 15 years ago was the most positive, health-defining decision that I have made. I fell into the category of the almost nine out of 10 people in the UK who took up smoking before the age of 21. Millions of our citizens, I am sure, will look back with regret about why they have not taken the decision not just to stop but to never have started a habit that kills up to two thirds of its users. It is the largest cause of preventable illness and premature death. <BR /> <BR />My smoking habit took many, many attempts to crack. I often wonder whether, if vaping had been freely available back then as it is today, it would have made the process of quitting easier. Smoking damages the heart and the lungs and is the key cause of many cancers.”
“OK. Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“They have all outlined the changes that we need. <BR /> <BR />Members will have been a little bemused to see the Department complaining that over £8·4 billion in resource in next year's draft Budget will be insufficient and hundreds of millions short. It may be one thing to argue that you are under pressure to make sure that you come in on budget for the end of the current financial year, but that is £8·4 billion up to the end of March 2026. There ought to be ample time to prioritise spend. Not everything that the Department invests in is in front-line care. Professor Bengoa put it relatively politely when he was here in the autumn: if there is not a changed approach, the Department will soon be asking for 100% of —.”
“Some staff are being asked to do the impossible every day. I speak to staff, and some are leaving the profession because they cannot take any more or because they can receive better pay and working conditions elsewhere. We have debated that too, but we are not seeing the big changes. <BR /> <BR />Access to a GP is in crisis, as is access to A&Es. Through no fault of its own, the Ambulance Service is in crisis. Social care is in crisis. Millions of pounds have been lost on the new maternity and children's hospital project, and there are new revelations about millions being spent on consultants, and so the circle continues. We are not seeing the changes that we need to see, and the health service is awash with multiple reviews — reviews on top of reviews, strategies and consultations, including the Bengoa report.”
“Our constituency surgeries are crammed with examples of people who are living in pain, parents who are unable to care for their children or individuals faced with having to leave their job because of their health needs. We have debated that, but, so far, we are not seeing the changes that we need. <BR /> <BR />Our mental health services in Northern Ireland are in a dire state. The Province has the highest rate of mental illness in the UK. We have young people who have been waiting for months and even years for mental health interventions. What about the health workforce? There are nurses, doctors, paramedics and care staff who are exhausted and demoralised. There are staff who are overworked and stretched to the very bone. People will even say that the health service is surviving on goodwill.”
“OK, thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am on pretty safe ground today when I say that the crisis in the health service is not a new challenge that has just appeared on the horizon. It has been building for many years not just in the Province but across the UK. We have multiple debates in the Chamber about our health service, but, so far, we have not seen a lot of the changes that we wish to see. <BR /> <BR />The facts for this place speak for themselves. Waiting lists in the Province are the worst in the UK. There are half a million people on waiting lists to have a first appointment and tens of thousands of people have been waiting for more than a year — some much longer — for treatments and surgeries.”
“The community of Burnfoot, just outside Dungiven, are at their best when they are under pressure. That community, and its school, will thrive once more. I can guarantee that. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Education Minister who, when I contacted him on Friday, Saturday evening and Sunday, took a strong personal interest in ensuring that assessments were made for debris to be cleared, which will allow for significant repairs to be carried out. I encourage the Department of Education to keep the focus, as the Minister has done, on a full and speedy repair. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Drumrane Primary School principal and school leaders and applaud them for their patience. Rest assured, you have our support.”
“I put on record our support for Drumrane Primary School, which, on Friday morning, faced violent winds that ripped off large parts of its roof. The school is located in a stunning setting, in the foothills of Benbradagh Mountain, in the village of Burnfoot, County Londonderry. It was built recently — in 2008 — when three country schools were merged, and it has 140 pupils and five classrooms. <BR /> <BR />Anyone in the Chamber who represents a rural constituency knows that a rural school is the heartbeat of its area. When a rural school is impacted on in a negative way, the impact ripples beyond its children and teachers and affects the entire area and hinterland. It was heartbreaking to arrive on Friday to see the external and internal damage to the school, but it is in a strong area.”
“The message from the House must be that the Province and the Assembly will stand with those individuals, not against them, and that mental health is just as important as physical health. The Province must be a place where no one feels ashamed of their struggles and no one is made to feel isolated because of their mental health.”
“I have listened to the struggles that they have faced in trying to deal with not only their condition but the stigma that they have faced. For some, seeking help for the first time was the hardest step because they feared how others would judge them. All too often, men struggle to seek help. The 2021 NI life and times survey showed that 50% of males reported having difficulty talking to other people about their feelings and emotions. That needs to change. We have seen in other areas of health across the world that stigma can be reduced with the right efforts. Public education campaigns, awareness training and open dialogue have all played a role in reducing stigma. We can do the same for mental health. I genuinely believe that we are making headway. <BR /> <BR />My party will support the motion.”
“The success of the strategy requires a coordinated, sustained effort that involves not only our health service but schools, workplaces, communities, the media and the entire Executive. There is no doubt that reducing stigma is a long-term project. We need to normalise conversations about mental health to ensure that, when someone is struggling, they feel able to speak out without fear of judgement or rejection. The Department of Health and the Executive must continue to ensure that mental health is seen as a medical condition and not some kind of character flaw. People should not be defined by their illness. <BR /> <BR />In the course of my work as a public representative over the past 20 years, I have met many individuals who have bravely shared their personal stories of mental illness.”
“<BR /> <BR />All of us in the Chamber want to see the full implementation of the mental health strategy 2021-2031, which lays out the 35 actions under three overarching themes and provides the road map for the improvement of mental health services in Northern Ireland over the next decade. The success of the mental health strategy depends on more than just better treatment and care; it will also depend on changing the way in which we all think and speak about mental health in Northern Ireland. It will depend on us all challenging outdated beliefs and stereotypes that fuel stigma, which is why action 1 under theme 1 of the mental health strategy is important. However, given the implementation costs of £1·2 billion, there is increasing risk that the strategy will become outdated due to those costs.”
“Evidence shows that the stigma surrounding mental illness is a barrier to people seeking help and accessing treatment. That stigma can create an environment where individuals feel isolated and sometimes ashamed of their struggles. That sense of shame prevents people speaking openly about their experiences, reaching out for help and, therefore, finding support. As a result of mental illness, mental health issues often go unaddressed, worsening over time and leading to greater long-term consequences, and they can lead to someone taking their own life. Why is mental illness still viewed by some as a sign of weakness, or worse, as something to hide away? Why are people more likely to seek help for a broken leg than they are for depression or anxiety?”
“In 2024, the Public Accounts Committee's 'Report on Mental Health Services in Northern Ireland' said:”
“A youth well-being survey in 2020 reported:”
“<BR /> <BR />In 2021, the 'Review of mental health statistics in Northern Ireland' reported that we have:”
“I am stating the very obvious by saying that mental illness never discriminates. It affects everybody from every walk of life, from all backgrounds and from every corner of the Province. Despite how common it is, so many individuals are suffering in silence, being weighed down by an illness and an unjust stigma that often accompanies that illness. Whether it is depression, OCD, phobias, eating disorders or addictions, no person experiencing mental ill health should feel shame due to their illness. Traumatic events, such as COVID-19 and violence in Northern Ireland, have all had an impact on the well-being of people in the Province, and that is borne out by the mental health services all being under extreme pressure. Even our EDs are populated by individuals who are suffering from poor mental health.”
“The Ambulance Service is the pipeline that connects individuals to the care that they need in their most vulnerable moments. A forward-looking strategy that supports the new clinical response model is an absolute must, ensuring that the right response is available at the right time for every patient, regardless of the complexity of their condition. I therefore support the motion.”
“It is imperative that there is a comprehensive Ambulance Service workforce plan that not only attracts new staff but ensures that current staff are supported, trained and better equipped to meet the demands of that vital service. <BR /> <BR />The issues in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service are only one part of the jigsaw. The wider health and social care system needs to be repaired to resolve the delays in patient handover and the lack of capacity in our EDs. The bottlenecks contribute to the crisis that we are witnessing and are in desperate need of being addressed. Today is yet another critical moment for Northern Ireland's health service at a time that, staff say, has been and continues to be the most difficult in its history.”
“Families are being left in limbo, unsure whether the care that their loved ones need will arrive in time. For those who do receive care, the experience of waiting for an ambulance, sometimes for far longer than is medically acceptable, adds unnecessary distress and anxiety at an already difficult time. <BR /> <BR />Patients deserve better, and they deserve a health service in Northern Ireland that can respond swiftly when their lives are in danger. Dedicated ambulance staff deserve the resources, training and support that they need to do their jobs effectively and safely. Therefore, I support the motion and the call for Minister of Health to bring forward any proposals to help to address that.”
“Pressures on that hard-working workforce have been exacerbated by the delays in admitting patients to hospital, with a lack of flow in the system, including a lack of available domiciliary care. Ambulances, often filled with patients in desperate need of care, are left waiting outside hospitals for hours, unable to hand over the patients to EDs. That gridlock further exacerbates the delays and strains on the entire system. <BR /> <BR />The consequences of that should fill all of us in the Chamber with fear. Lives are being put at risk, and lives have been lost, with 12 patients dying in 2024-25 while waiting for an ambulance. However, the Department states that patient deaths whilst waiting for an ambulance can be complex and that a number of factors need to be considered.”