Stormont Health Faces Huge Budget Gap

Stormont Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has expressed shared concerns with MLAs regarding an impending budget announcement and a substantial financial shortfall. He revealed that while up to £100 million is anticipated from the December Monitoring Round, a deficit of at least £109 million remains to be addressed.

Nesbitt acknowledged that efforts to find savings will continue until March 31, but it is likely the budget will not be balanced. He stated his directive to pay the health workforce has created a pressure of £209 million, prioritizing doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals despite the financial strain.

Looking ahead, Nesbitt pledged to ringfence funding for staff pay in the next budget to prevent recurrence of previous years' issues. He also highlighted the necessity of health service reform, comparing the rollout of new models to varying race distances, emphasizing that transformation must happen alongside efforts to reduce waiting lists.