THE SDLP’s Mark H Durkan has described Health Minister Robin Swann’s decision to reinstate the Cross Border Healthcare Directive for a period of 12 months as welcome but not as ambitious as it should be.
Mr Durkan has been pushing Minister Swann for a return to cross border healthcare, following the closure of the EU Directive as a consequence of Brexit.
Said the Foyle MLA: “While the reinstating of this cross-border initiative is good news it must not be time-bound.
“A year is a relatively short time period, our spiralling waiting lists demand a longer term solution.
“The pandemic has laid bare the fragilities of our health system and in recent months I have raised directly with the Health Minister the need to reinstate this scheme.
“What concerns me most is the entrenchment of a two-tier health care system whereby those who can afford to go private will do so and those who can’t are forced to languish on four year waiting lists while their physical and mental health deteriorates. Indeed, many will spiral into debt just to access treatment.
“In April, I urged Minister Swann to explore North/South collaboration with regards to healthcare given the removal of the EU Directive and to put an end to the perverse ‘dangling carrot’ practice, pushing patients into private healthcare.
“Waiting lists were buckling under pressure long before Covid, further disruption and backlogs are unavoidable.
“The Health Minister needs to look towards a long term solution and take a collaborative approach to cross border healthcare to tackle our dire elective surgery waiting lists and maximise resources.”
