Other News In Brief

Police Cuts Highlights Need To Restore Stormont – UUP

The announcement of police cuts highlights the importance of restoring devolution and that action is needed urgently to restore police morale, the Ulster Unionist Party's Policing Board representative, Mike Nesbitt, has said.

Mr Nesbitt said: "I sense this is pushing the PSNI down the same road as the NHS, to become an almost exclusively reactive body, not a preventative one. This has long-term negative implications.

"It also means in many cases reaction times will be slower than the public expects.

"It does not mean the PSNI is no longer fit for purpose. I have been assured the PSNI can continue to deliver. It reminds me of the old Dickens quote about the best of times and the worst of times. Northern Ireland remains one of the safest regions of the UK, yet recorded crime is up, as is the number of homicides and 999 calls.

"Given the NHS and the Education Authority are also in the news because of funding shortfalls, the argument is made that we need a functioning set of devolved institutions to start taking some tough political decisions.

"I remain deeply concerned about the impact on serving officers, who often work 16 hour shifts and are continuously asked to do more for less. My interactions with police officers indicate morale is already very low and today's news will not help."

Alliance Welcomes Funding For Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre

Alliance have welcomed funding for The Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, which is to receive almost £1.7m over the next five years.

The financial support is the result of a partnership between Cancer Research UK and the Public Health Agency.

Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA, said: "This is fantastic news for cancer patients across Northern Ireland and the research pioneered at the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre will ultimately save lives here and further afield.

"The ability to deliver clinical trials locally allows access to treatments which might not otherwise be possible. It is particularly essential for young people diagnosed with cancer as two-thirds of children are recruited into such trials.

"I am grateful to Cancer Research UK for part-funding the centre, as part of a wider UK network, and for its tireless work to beat cancer. The money will go a long way towards developing world-class treatments, as well as enhancing medical expertise in Northern Ireland."

DUP Warn Of Looming 'Cliff-Edge' Of NI Medicine Supply

The DUP has warned of a looming 'cliff-edge' if there is not a resolution on medicine supply to Northern Ireland which is threatened because of the requirement for NI to follow EU rules as a result of the Protocol.

DUP Peer Lord Dodds was speaking after representatives of the BMA, NHS Confederation and Nuffield Trust gave evidence to the House of Lords sub-committee on the NI Protocol.

Speaking afterwards he said: "The impact of the Protocol on medicines was made clear today. The vast majority of our medicines are supplied through Great Britain and we were told “the biggest single factor causing the difficulties" was the need for Northern Ireland to follow the Falsified Medicines Directive. It is only due to the Protocol that Northern Ireland is bound by this directive despite it only being necessary for a very tiny proportion of medicines.

"Despite the often-repeated claim that the medicines issue was resolved back in 2021, we face a cliff-edge in December. Unless there is a resolution by then, it poses a credible threat that many hundreds of medicines would be discontinued in Northern Ireland. Despite this threat there is no indication that the medicines issue is even being discussed or that any new proposals have been tabled.

"It was notable to hear a suggestion that a simple way to make progress would be for Northern Ireland simply to ignore the Falsified Medicines Directive given the costs of complying with it would vastly outweigh any penalties imposed. If the EU continues to cling to its 'rules based' mantra then simple solutions will be more difficult to achieve.

"What is needed is the will to make progress and for our supply of medicines to be supplied and regulated as they should be, right across our NHS on a UK basis."