UUP Commands Efforts Of Health Minister To Address NICH

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has commended the efforts of party colleague and Health Minister, Robin Swann, to address the issues at Northern Ireland Children's Hospice (NICH).

Within days of taking office, Minister Swann was met by the breaking news that the NICH was planning to close a number of beds due to the financial pressures they were facing.

The Minister immediately instructed his Department of Health officials to engage in detailed discussions with management within the Hospice. Robin recognised that the financial pressures facing the Hospice were much deeper than any reduction of Departmental support.

Within days the Minister decided to reinstate the budgetary reduction of £85,000 funding for this year. He also referenced the core annual funding of £1.6m that his department provides directly to the Hospice. This core funding includes a £420,000 component which has not been recurrent. The Minister has now made this element of the core funding recurrent going forward, giving the Hospice greater certainty, a fact that they have gratefully acknowledged. Unfortunately all these positive announcements will, according to Hospice officials, not lead to a reversal of the service reductions made public last week.

Alan Chambers MLA, Ulster Unionist Party Health Spokesperson, commented: "I commend the Minister for the urgent actions he took last week and I fully understand that he went as far as his Department limits allowed him. I welcome the support offered by both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in relation to the NICH position. We cannot afford to suffer any reduction in Hospice services that provide such support and respite for the families that have a child availing of the services offered by the Hospice. My party fully support the view of the Minister that the long-term need for financial stability across the Hospice sector would benefit from cross-Departmental input to assist the sector in identifying sustainable ways forward. The Executive cannot allow the vital work of NICH to be diminished and indeed their ability to deliver an increase in the service they offer should be a priority for this newly established Executive."