Good morning John,

This week’s emergency meeting of the Assembly Health Committee brought into sharp focus the immense pressures facing our health service.

In all my years as a public representative, I have rarely seen the system under such strain. The DUP is determined to work constructively with the Health Minister and all stakeholders to ensure that current strains are alleviated, but also that meaningful and lasting improvements are made.

It is undeniable that this winter has exposed the severe deficiencies in the Department’s current planning. The pressures on our hospitals were predictable, yet the preparation to address them has been lacking. It is essential that the Minister acknowledges this and commits to more advanced pre-emptive planning in the future. At the meeting this week, we heard nothing that would instil confidence that the types of change required to make a difference will occur. Our health service cannot afford to stumble into each winter unprepared for the challenges it brings.

Amidst these pressures, I want to pay tribute to our incredible healthcare workers, who work tirelessly, day and night, to deliver care under the most testing conditions. But their resilience and professionalism deserve more than our gratitude. The best we can do to support staff is to deliver a system to work within that reduces the daily challenges they face.

One area that I highlighted at the Committee this week was the need for urgent action in domiciliary care. Too many patients are unable to leave hospital simply because there is no care package in place to support them at home. This bottleneck is not only inefficient but also detrimental to patient wellbeing. The DUP believes that those providing domiciliary care must be valued and rewarded appropriately. We will work with the Minister to address this issue and ensure that care in the community is not just said to be apriority but is supported as such.

Looking beyond the immediate crisis, the future of our health service depends on reform. While in 2024 the Minister spoke of high level aspirations which we all share, in 2025 we need detailed plans and decisive action from the Minister. The DUP is committed to working constructively to ensure that reform becomes a reality, not just an aspiration.

This will involve tough decisions, but the DUP will not shy away from these challenges. We will continue to hold the Minister to account, but we will also work constructively to ensure that the changes required are delivered. Northern Ireland deserves a health service that works for everyone, and the DUP will play its full part in achieving that goal. Whilst additional funding is often seen as a solution in and of itself, we must also demand better value for money. Too often, we have seen money squandered. In recent weeks, I have highlighted the overspend incurred already on the new Royal Maternity and Children’s Hospital, and the £10m lost on the ‘Energy Centre' that is now scrapped altogether. This waste must be addressed, and those responsible must be held accountable if attitudes are to change to the use of public money.

A working, efficient, health service free at the point of delivery is a key pillar in making Northern Ireland work, and it is central to demonstrating the benefits of the Union to our people. In the coming weeks and months, the DUP will champion the action needed to ensure we have a health service that meets the expectations, and needs, of those who call upon it.

Wishing you and your family and very happy, and healthy, 2025.

Yours sincerely,

Diane Dodds MLA
DUP Health Spokesperson