22 June 2026

SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said the commitments made by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt following the publication of the Muckamore Abbey Inquiry report must now translate into action.

He was speaking after the Minister delivered a statement to the Assembly on Monday.

Colin McGrath MLA said:

"Nobody listening to today's statement could be in doubt about the scale of the failure at Muckamore Abbey. The Minister was right to apologise again to those who suffered and to acknowledge the lasting hurt caused to patients and families. Those families have carried the weight of this for years and many of them had to fight far harder than they ever should have to get the truth out into the open.

"I welcome the Minister's commitment to move quickly on the report's recommendations and his recognition that trust in the health service has been badly damaged. Rebuilding that trust will take more than apologies. It will require openness, transparency and clear evidence that lessons are being learned.

"The concerns raised by the inquiry about the Belfast Trust are deeply troubling and cannot simply be brushed aside. The public will expect to see real accountability and a clear commitment to addressing the cultural and leadership failures identified in the report.

"Muckamore must be remembered as a turning point. The responsibility now rests with the Department, trusts and the wider health service to deliver the changed needed to protect vulnerable patients, support families and ensure that what happened at Muckamore can never happen again."