SDLP Health Spokesperson Fearghal McKinney says it is becoming increasingly clear that there is no strategic focus at the heart of the Health Department’s budget plans for next year. “Just weeks ago the new Health Minister appeared before the Committee saying that providing high quality front line services, Transforming Your Care and income generation were his top three priorities for the Health Service. Yesterday evening a two hour session with Department officials showed that in fact there is only one focus – the Department embarking on a cuts charter. “This was bad enough in terms of the budget proposals for this year but it is clear now that the same approach is being taken in terms of next year’s plans. There is no evidence that there is a strategic focus at the centre of these plans which will strip out vital services for local communities. Indeed some of the cuts that are proposed are flying in the face of the alleged strategic direction of returning services to the community. “There was an opportunity to declare war on the millions of pounds of waste in the service and help free up vital cash. That in turn would free up money for investment in vital community services. “The SDLP is right to reject the budget that underpins this. Communities across the North will feel the brunt of these cuts as the Department orders Trusts to slash services in a budget driven exercise not a health delivery exercise with the patient at its core.”
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:54:09 +0000
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