HEALTH Minister Michelle O’Neill has written to all party leaders today to seek their support for the Elective Care Plan she published yesterday and for the allocation of resources to tackle waiting lists.
Michelle O’Neill said she needs £31 million to tackle the lengthening waiting lists.
But because Sinn Fein collapsed Stormont over the ‘cash-for-ash’ scandal, there is no Executive in place to give her plan the green light.
“As health minister I welcomed the cross-party support for the Bengoa Report,” said Sinn Fein’s leader in the North.
“For the first time we have taken the politics out of health and that is how we should take forward the essential work of transforming our health care system.
“In this context I have written to all party leaders to seek their support for the Elective Care Plan which I published yesterday and for the allocation of the required resources to tackle waiting lists.
“Political consensus on this will remove any ambiguity around this allocation of the £31.2 million and provide clear political direction for the Department of Finance Permanent Secretary in the event that political agreement is not achieved before the end of March.
“It is essential that we provide the maximum protection possible for our public services despite the current political crisis.”
