Raymond McCartney hits back at SDLP's Mark H Durkan over ‘untrue’ health claims

Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney has hit back at SDLP claims that funds committed to the Heath Service have not been delivered.

Mr McCartney said: “The claim made by Mark H Durkan that not an extra penny has been allocated to the health service since our commitment to invest an additional £1billion in the department over five years is simply not true.”

“It raises serious questions about Mr Durkan’s understanding of the health brief or whether he has been paying any attention to the situation over the last year or so aside from making inaccurate statements.

“Since the commitment to increase health spending by £1 Billion over five years, more than £400m additional has already been allocated to the department. By the end of the five-year period, in excess of an additional £1 Billion will have been allocated.

“This funding is vital in delivering frontline health and social care services but of course we also need to ensure that additional investment goes into structural transformation of the health services so that we tackle the long-term challenges facing the service.

“Recent Health Trust proposals to cut £70m from frontline services runs contrary to this direction of transformation laid out by Michelle O'Neill when Minister for Health. This would only worsen the situation and cause longer waiting times for patients and will be fiercely opposed by Sinn Féin.”