22/10/2018

NI Health Service Disparity Shocks MP

The chair of the Commons NI Affairs Committee has expressed his shock at the disparity between Northern Ireland health services and those throughout the rest of the UK.

Andrew Murrison, a Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, said the lack of a Stormont executive is clearly impacting the access patients have to care, including specialist cancer drugs, and added that the disparity was "frankly unacceptable".

The committee was in Belfast to hear from patients with experience using the mental health and cancer services in Northern Ireland.

Mr Murrison said: "There is a clear disparity between the quality of service that service users can expect in Northern Ireland and that which applies in the rest of the United Kingdom."

He also questioned the priorities of some NI politicians for putting the implementation of an Irish Language Act before the needs of the health service.

"I think it is truly shocking that people in Northern Ireland are not getting what they need, particularly in key areas like mental health or cancer services."

Mr Murrison added that there is "really very little that is more important than people getting the healthcare they need when they need it most".



(JG/MH)

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