The Ulster Unionist Party’s Health Spokesperson, Alan Chambers MLA, has welcomed today’s first meeting of an Ad Hoc Health Committee, convened and chaired by the Minister for Health, Robin Swann MLA, which is intended to provide some scrutiny of the Department in the enforced absence of a formal mandated Health Committee.

Alan Chambers said:

“I very much welcome this initiative by the Minister to put in place a process that can help fill the gap caused by the current Assembly impasse with no Departmental scrutiny committees being in place. Hopefully the example being demonstrated by Minister Swann and his officials will be replicated by other Stormont Ministers to ensure a level of political scrutiny across the board until we can return to business as usual at Stormont.

“The Minister was accompanied by his Departmental Permanent Secretary, Mr Peter May, the Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride and senior officials from his Department. This was a very useful briefing with everything being laid on the table by the Minister and his officials.

“The Department is facing huge budgetary challenges created by the current failure to appoint an Executive. Even with the absence of a current budget, never mind a three year financial plan, the Health Minister and his team are committed to continuing to strive to deliver a world class health service for the citizens of Northern Ireland.”