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Durkan: NHS Centralisation baffling ahead of review

SDLP Health spokesperson Mark H Durkan has said that the proposed centralisation of NHS back-office work beggars belief, coming as the announcement does just days before the publication of the Compton Review of Health and Social Care.

Wed 7th December

Speaking after a meeting of the Assembly Health committee, during which it was decided to write to Health minister Edwin Poots to express concerns, the Foyle MLA said: “These proposed changes are utterly baffling with the Minister’s Compton Review statement due next week.

“Why, when a major review of the whole service is still unpublished, would the Minister be so precipitate in making massive decisions on NHS work?

“It is not only me that is gobsmacked by the Business Services Organisation centralisation news – dozens of people in my constituency are too.

“These are people whose whole livelihoods could be put at risk if their job is relocated to areas they just can’t travel to.

“At a time of cuts to public service and in an area that has a public service-led economy it makes no sense financially, geographically, or at a human resource level to transfer a substantial number of finance staff from an existing base in Altnagelvin - an area that would have the wherewithal for housing one of the main BSO locations.

“Derry is a centre for public administration, already providing this service. It can also offer great potential for future public service expansion and provision. There are many staff with a huge wealth of administration experience and skill.

“I am pleased that my colleagues on the Health committee are in agreement regarding our concerns with this issue and I look forward to seeing the Minister’s response to the committee’s letter.”

Mark H Durkan

Mark H Durkan MLA

Email markh.durkan@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Tel 028 7136 5516

Press Office

Tel 028 90 52 1837

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