Winter Health Pressures 'Under Control'

Even though swine flu levels are on the rise, NI's health service professionals are dealing effectively with winter pressures.

Michael McGimpsey, the Stormont Health Minister has hit back at claims that the current pressures being faced by the Health and Social Care service are not being managed properly.

The Minister (pictured) said that from early December the Department, the Health Service, the Board and the Public Health Agency (PHA) had been meeting on an almost daily basis.

The purpose of the meetings were to ensure that the health service was ready to deal with any issues emerging from the cold weather, he said.

"My Department, the Health and Social Care Board, the PHA and the Trusts have been in daily contact since mid-December to ensure an effective coordinated response to the pressures arising from the severe weather conditions. I have not, as has been suggested, been 'missing on the job'.

"Throughout the Christmas period I received regular updates on the current situation and have been on top of this situation at all times.

"I am deeply disappointed that an issue as serious as the delivery of health and social care has been turned into a political attack on me," he fumed this morning - referring to scurrilous attacks by Sinn Fein in particular.

"Despite all the significant pressures we are facing, the service continues to manage this situation effectively because we have the necessary plans in place to cope."

Turning to the issue of GPs receiving information on vaccination the Minister said there is a formal and standard process every year to provide information to doctors.

He said: "Every year, the Chief Medical Officer issues guidance to all GPs and other health professionals about the seasonal flu vaccination programme.

"These letters have advised on, for example, the 'at-risk' groups which should be vaccinated and how to manage cases of severe flu.

"I also launched the annual seasonal flu programme in October and since then, there have been a series of press releases from my Department and the PHA on flu and personal hygiene.

"Throughout the flu season, the Agency publishes a weekly flu bulletin on its website with information on flu and flu-like illnesses. "In addition, in Northern Ireland, we will be running a number of newspaper advertisements next week to advise the public on preventing the spread of flu.

"There has in fact been a significant amount of information released about seasonal flu.

"What must not happen is that the public should not become alarmed because some people chose to create panic and scaremonger," he insisted.

The Sinn Fein MLA and Vice Chair of the Health Committee, Michelle O'Neill accused the Health Minster of 'going missing on the job' as the Health Service tries to tackle the re-emergence of Swine flu.

"There has been no leadership from the top. It seems he has gone missing on the job.

"It seems that once swine flu was out of the headlines any proactive course of action was simply placed on the long finger.

"This is unacceptable and the Minister needs to step forward and start giving answers to the many questions that are out there over his management of this situation," she said, on Friday.

(BMcC/GK)