Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew has said that the DUP’s reckless action in collapsing the Executive and blocking a three-year budget will continue to pile pressure on already hard-pressed health workers.

The party’s chair of the health committee said:

“Across the trusts we are seeing hospitals in crisis due to the chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and social care workers.

“The pressure on the entire sector is untenable due to the staffing crisis and the safety of both staff and patients is at risk.

“The health service requires the three year budget, blocked by the DUP’s reckless decision to collapse the Executive, to tackle waiting lists, to recruit more doctors and nurses, to fund cancer and mental health services and to transform the health service. 

“Our health service is much more important than the electoral difficulties of the DUP. 

“They should get back to work and ensure that health workers have the resources needed to tackle the  huge pressures across our hospitals, emergency rooms, our GP surgeries and the entire health care system.”