Bradshaw demands immediate restoration of Executive as waiting lists soar

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has demanded the immediate restoration of the Executive after figures showed waiting lists are soaring.

The South Belfast MLA was speaking after the publication of the quarterly waiting times statistics, which showed as of the end of June, a rise of 17.2 per cent of people waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment than at the same point last year.

A rise of 3.2 per cent meanwhile was seen from the same period last year for patients waiting for admission to hospital.

“It is clear the big two parties are now shirking their responsibilities with regards to managing the health service and the reform programme to which they committed,” said Ms Bradshaw.

“Implementation of the recommendations of Bengoa is urgently required as they are specifically designed to reform the broken system which leads to far too many people on waiting lists. It was also the DUP and Sinn Fein who chose not to raise health spending in line with England, and they cannot run away from their responsibility to fix that.

“There is now no more time for the cynical blame game. Proposals already exist for a compromise on the issues which they themselves claim caused the breakdown. Now is the time to restore the Executive, while allowing the Assembly to scrutinise and debate free from improper use of petitions.

“People’s lives depend on it.”

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