Doctors quiz candidates ahead of 5 May elections

  Candidates from four of the main political parties in Northern Ireland put themselves forward for tough questioning by BMA members at a pre-election health and social care debate in Belfast. Meaningful and timely action on changing the health and social care infrastructure, the absence of proper medical workforce planning and the need for cross-departmental input into public health were among the areas on which candidates were questioned at the event, which was held ahead of the Northern Ireland assembly elections on 5 May. The event was attended by doctors from all branches of practice and local medical students. Sinn Féin’s Maeve McLaughlin, chair of the assembly’s health committee, the current minister for employment and learning and Alliance Party member Stephen Farry, Social Democratic and Labour Party health spokesperson Fearghal McKinney and the Ulster Unionist Party’s Philip Smith set out their stalls on what their parties would do for health before answering doctors' questions. The Democratic Unionist Party, which currently holds the health portfolio, was unable to put a spokesperson forward for the debate.   Lack of progress Referring to the fact that the Bengoa review into restructuring health and social care in Northern Ireland is the latest in a number of similar health reviews in recent years, GP David Ross expressed frustration at the 'lack of progress and seeming lack of political will to implement real change' in the fac...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news