Northern Ireland health officials criticised over lack of winter plan information

A member of Stormont’s health committee has criticised the Department of Health over what they described as a “shocking” lack of information on how it plans to tackle winter pressures on the health service.

Alliance’s Nuala McAllister said assembly members had been raising the issue of the department’s winter preparedness plan since January, but that nothing had yet been published.

She said information provided to the health committee to date had been “inadequate” and lacking in detail, despite the service already facing pressures.

The department confirmed it is due to publish its winter preparedness plan on Thursday, which would identify steps being taken to “manage pressures”.

These would include “enhancements for general practice, efforts to tackle ambulance handover delays and additions to community pharmacy services”.

It added that it had already mobilised an extensive vaccination programme, to minimise the impact from winter infections such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19.

McAllister said the report was still too late.

“We have been raising the issue of the winter plan since January,” she said.

“The minister and the department have not brought any information on what exactly they are doing to better prepare hospitals and staff for the pressures they are already facing.”

The Alliance Party assembly member said it was “not acceptable” that a winter preparedness plan had not already been published, and that she understood the health sector was not happy either.

“We have also been given inadequate information at the health committee,” she added.

“The lack of forthcoming information and detail at committee and assembly from the department is shocking.”

BBC News NI has seen a leaked presentation paper entitled The Big Discussion from the Department of Health, which it is understood will be presented to Stormont’s health committee on Thursday.

The document outlines pressures on the health service and points to areas that need improvement.

The Department of Health said the document was not its winter preparedness plan, but rather one of a number of documents which were never intended to be action specific, and which “formed part of the extensive discussion and practical work which has been taking place across the health and social care system”.