Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh, Dáire Hughes, has described the northern Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s attendance before the Joint Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee as ‘constructive and useful’.
After last week’s meeting Dáire Hughes said, “It was great to welcome Minister Nesbitt to the Good Friday Agreement Committee this morning.
“For the past number of months the GFA Committee has focussed on the theme of healthcare.
“Agencies such as the All-Island Congenital Heart Network, the All-Island Cancer Research Institute, the Institute of Public Health and the Shared Island Unit along with healthcare professionals and academics including Professor Deirdre Heenan, Ulster University and Professor Anne Matthews, Dublin City University have attended the committee.
“What has been clear through all of their contributions is that where there is maximum collaboration across the island, patient outcomes are better.
“I really welcome Minister Nesbitt’s attendance and contribution today. Particularly his remarks regarding his positive working relationship with Minister Carroll MacNeill, and his openness to further developing all island areas of cooperation.
“Minister Nesbitt also spoke of ongoing work in relation to developing a joint strategy between the island’s departments of health, enhancing collaboration moving forward. This is a welcome initiative and we look forward to its publication.
“There are numerous instances of patients from the south benefiting from treatment in the north such as the renal services which operate from my local hospital, Daisy Hill in Newry, and treats patients from the locality regardless of which side of the border they happen to live on.
“There are huge opportunities to further deliver services in this manner. Sinn Féin representatives also made contributions on data sharing across the jurisdictions, developing clinical trails on an all island basis, inequalities of access to medications across the island and issues around workforce planning.
“Minister Nesbitt’s contribution was practical and positive, All island healthcare makes sense and it is very positive to have a health minister in the north recognise this and commit to deepening and developing collaboration in the future.”
