15 May 2026
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said repeated patient recalls and reviews raise serious questions about the operation of the health service.
He was speaking after it emerged that more than 160 heart patients are to be recalled by the Belfast Trust following concerns some may have been fitted with specialist CRT devices unnecessarily.
The latest case follows a number of other high-profile patient recalls and reviews across the health service.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“Just yesterday we were discussing the decision not to hold a public inquiry into the cervical screening recall in the Southern Trust and today we are faced with another deeply concerning patient recall that risks further damaging public confidence in our health service.
“It is important to say that health service staff carry out outstanding work in increasingly difficult circumstances and that nobody is infallible. However, over recent years we have seen an alarming number of patient recalls and reviews involving neurology, cervical screening and now patients who may have undergone unnecessary heart procedures.
“Thankfully, it appears patients involved in this latest recall were not subjected to serious harm, but any invasive medical procedure is significant for both patients and their families. The possibility that procedures involving serious heart conditions may have been carried out unnecessarily on this scale will understandably cause deep concern.
“I would urge anyone who believes they may have been impacted to engage with the Trust and seek advice. The Health Minister and his department now face a significant challenge to rebuild public confidence and ensure repeated recalls and reviews do not become an accepted feature of our health service.”