Mr Beattie MC MLA said, "We chose to take the Health brief because we recognised the challenges our NHS are facing. Minister Swann was able to hit the ground running to deal with immediate pressures.

"In advance of the return of the Assembly, every party committed to putting health as their number one priority. That recognition was given even though it was understood that any budget would be challenging – every party committed to putting health first.

"We fast forward to today’s Executive meeting where every other party voted in support of a £184 million cut to the health service.

"Let me be clear, the Ulster Unionist Party do not support this budget as presented. We take this position because we refuse to accept the reduction of almost 150 acute hospital beds, the reduction of 1.1 million hours of domiciliary care or the reduction of 500 care home beds that such a cut will force on our health service this year.

"I have called for an urgent meeting of party leaders where I will ask for every consideration to be given to resolve these unmanageable cuts to our Health Service.

"The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to making our Health Service work, but we cannot sit idly by while it is dismantled by parties who consistently refuse to take ownership of the department.

"A solution must be urgently found or the results are beyond contemplation."