The SDLP have called for progress on long overdue all-island policy priorities including the enhancement of cross-border healthcare to tackle the waiting list crisis.
Speaking following the latest SDLP Opposition Day, Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said: “Embracing cross border collaboration is borne out of necessity but also practicality to stem growing waiting lists and health inequalities.
“Practically, every health service waiting list in the North is ‘breaking records’ in a direction that certainly isn’t positive.
“Half of people waiting to access mental health services wait longer than nine-week; 17,000 long waiting list for Occupational Therapy assessment is stripping people of dignity; and almost 25,000 people await orthopaedic surgery with some being told they’ll wait seven years for access to a knee replacement.
“Patients right across the spectrum of health services are being referred for treatment for conditions which once manageable, have become unbearable as a result of wholly unconscionable delays.
“Disappointed but not surprised that the DUP opposed our motion on cross border enhancements but disappointed that only one of Sinn Féin’s 27 MLAs bothered to turn up to a debate on something which they claim is a priority for them.
“The festering wounds of the health service went unsolved during political collapse.
“When we did have Health Ministers in place, their failure to invest in health and its workforce drove staff to picket lines.
“Collaboration with the South will allow the utilisation of available healthcare resources.
“The success of the ROI Reimbursement Scheme which allowed patients to access hip and knee replacements, is testament to the need to drive cross border solutions.
“The harmonisation of pay, especially within border regions, is of particular importance to prevent our specialist staff leaving in their droves.
“We should be exploring all-island collaboration on bespoke specialist areas like addiction, mental health, Tier 2 obesity services, cross border enhancements in social work services in terms of safeguards and data sharing, as well as perinatal and paediatric pathology services.
“We can’t allow this situation to fester to the point of sepsis.
“The enhancement of cross-border healthcare opportunities is necessary, not just for the sake of reducing waiting lists, but for improving healthcare outcomes and saving lives.”
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