Rural Ambulance cover in Northern Ireland - Robinson

During an Assembly debate in relation to rural ambulance cover in the Province, Ulster Unionist MLA Ken Robinson defended the Minister for Health's position and the service which the Ambulance service provides.

Speaking in the Chamber he said: "The population of Northern Ireland is spread relatively thinly across our land mass - This means that a large part of Northern Ireland can be considered rural. This means that the Minister for Health, with every decision he takes, has to take into consideration geographic and demographic issues."

"In this issue the main concern should be that frontline services are of the highest possible standard for all people regardless of where they live. And whilst I recognise the concerns outlined in the debate I believe that Members should deal in facts and not play on the fears of local people."

"The Minister is making our Health Service more efficient and effective, and along with new money -which he secured in the Budget Round, he will be pumping efficiency savings back into front line services."

"Out-of-hours services are presently under review by the Department as part of wider reforms. However, the Minister has always intended to involve the Health Committee and this Assembly in this process, as he has done with any other reforms. So anything that is reported at this point is merely speculation. This is what we are largely debating today- hearsay, media coverage and speculation."

"We have heard much about changes in the ambulance cover. I understand peoples' concerns about the availability and effectiveness of emergency services and that fears are often felt more acutely in rural areas. But to put today's debate into perspective we have just witnessed the largest single investment in Ambulance Services in Northern Ireland's history -we have witnessed the creation of a new command and control centre that will deliver ambulances to people in need quicker than in the past. This cannot be denied and it must be recognised.

"The Minister is improving efficiency and he is also improving front line services."