West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sue Ramsey expresses concern at Belfast Health Trust cuts

Published: 13 October, 2009

West Belfast Sinn Fein MLA and member of the Assembly Health Committee, Sue Ramsey, has expressed her deep concern at the Belfast Health Trust's strategy for managing its budget.

Ms Ramsey said:

'I will be meeting the Belfast Health Trust (Thursday), along with other members of the Health Committee. Sinn Fein is alarmed at the information we are receiving about the strategy being proposed by the Belfast Health Trust to manage its budget. The Belfast Trust has never discussed this strategy with Sinn Féin and from the information we have garnered so far, we believe the Trust's strategy will further compound the problems faced by the Health Service and by those on the frontline who are tasked with delivering vital services in the Belfast area.

''I have submitted questions to the minister about the Belfast Health Trust; when they first knew about the proposed cuts to staff, facilities and services ?; Who else knew about these cuts?; why did they not bring these cuts to the attention of the committee or others before they began to impose these cuts? Were they asked to keep these cuts secret and if so by whom?

"Someone in the Belfast Trust or the Department of Health conjured up this strategy. I want to know who they are and to whom they account."

''Front line staff are under immense pressure as they battle to deliver services. As a local Assembly member as a member of the Health Committee , I have been told by constituents , some of whom are health workers, that the Belfast Trust strategy for managing their budget is to stop recruiting new staff; to lay off agency workers; to stop bank nursing and to stop overtime.

'If the Belfast Trust confirms this under questioning by the committee, I would have to say that is a strategy to impact on the most vulnerable, and lowest paid health workers and will hurt those in need of nursing and health care.

'Like those affected, I want the Belfast Trust to explain that strategy to me, and I want to know how that strategy has been assessed against the Trust's legal duty to promote equality.

'I will be questioning the Trust on how its strategy will affect clerical staff on agency or temporary contracts who are already without maternity cover, holiday leave or pension entitlements.

''Belfast Trust has already offered voluntary redundancy to many maintenance workers such as plumbers and electricians. How will this work be done?

''They have also cut positions of dieticians by half. How do they intend to compensate?

''They propose reduced time in maternity but may births are caesarean and these require 4/5 days in hospital for recovery, so how will that work?

''Before the summer there were news reports that £4 million had been spent on cosmetic works to add beds to maternity, instead of a new maternity hospital. If they knew when this £4 million was available that there would be impending cuts in the autumn, why did they not seek to re-profile that money and spend it on staffing levels? Again, I have submitted this question to the minister.

''Musgrave ward in the Children's hospital at the RVH was closed last year by the Belfast Trust and at the time they claimed that it was for 'redecorating'. I want to know is this ward still closed? Why has it not been reopened? And is this an indication of how long they have been preparing for this chaos?

''And they are talking about more ward closures in the Children's Hospital and the Maternity Hospital. With increasing winter pressures coming, how will that provide health care to the young and vulnerable?

"The Belfast Health Trust is the largest health employer in these islands with more than 20,000 people employed. If the Belfast Trust thinks it is good enough to tell the Health Committee that it woke up one morning after the summer holidays and suddenly discovered a huge hole in their bank account, they better think again.

''The health of our community and the rights of our workers are at stake and we need answers and action immediately.

''That is why I proposed a motion at the Health Committee last week so that these critical issues would be debated and the minister would be available to answer questions. I believe the minister is saying he is not avalable to respond to the motion.

''It is alarming that we have a crisis in the Health Service and we have a Minister for Health will not put himself in front of the Assembly to explain himself on this issue.''