Sinn Fein Councillor Christopher Jackson brought forward a motion to discuss the escalating crisis within the health and social care system, at the Derry City and Strabane Council meeting on October 27th 2022.
This motion was influenced by Altnagelvin Area Hospital’s situation in Derry City a few weeks before.
On the 4th of October 2022 an emergency consultant Sandy Nelson took to social media to warn the public of the ‘dire straits’ Altnagelvin’s emergency department was under.
Councillor Jackson said 110 individuals were waiting for treatment including 45 patients waiting on admission whilst 4 ambulances queued outside.
As a result, Councillor Jackson expressed the need for a ‘bigger budget’ which Sinn Fein believe will aid in the delivery of ‘necessary resources’ to help the ‘dedicated staff in the health service’.
This they believe will relieve pressure and shorten waiting times.
The DUP are still refusing to take their seats in Stormont currently due to disagreements with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Due to this Councillor Jackson accused the DUP of ‘putting people’s lives at risk’ as he stated that they are contributing to a ‘failing health system’ and told the DUP to ‘get your party back to work’.
Sinn Fein call ‘for all parties to work together’ to gain the bigger budget needed for the health service.
The SDLP agreed with this motion, and SDLP Councillor Farrell gave the opinion that the ‘health service is broken’. He then addressed the DUP stating, ‘you can’t help the health service if you don’t work’.
DUP Councillor Devenney stated that ‘the health service has been in crisis for a decade or two’ ‘if Stormont was back tomorrow it is not going to fix every element of everything’.
The motion was passed unanimously.
