Eastern Health and Social Services Board (Hansard, 26 May 1988)

§ 8. Mr. Sean Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board; and if he will make a statement.

§ 17. Mr. Boyes
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Needham
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I met the chairmen of the four health and social services boards on 9 March 1988. I plan to meet the chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board again shortly at the 1988 accountability review.

§ Mr. Hughes
Does the Minister accept that the decision by Mr. John Simpson to step down as chairman of the Eastern board is a telling reflection of the impossible task that the boards are now facing in trying to maintain services but keep within the cash limits imposed by the Government?

§ Mr. Needham
No, I do not. I assure the hon. Gentleman that Mr. Simpson and I are at one in our desire to have an efficient and properly funded Health Service in Northern Ireland. Mr. Simpson has been vice-chairman for two years and chairman for four at a time of considerable upheaval, change and difficulty, and I believe that it is now time to bring in a new chairman who will be able to take on the difficult management problems that still face the board.

§ Mr. Boyes
Does the Minister recognise that, because of financial cuts, facilities, services and maintenance are rapidly being run down? In addition, hospitals could be closed unless the Minister urgently comes up with more cash for the Eastern Health and Social Services Board. Will the hon. Gentleman assure the House that more cash will be forthcoming in the near future?

§ Mr. Needham
I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's premise for a moment. There is an increase in health spending in Northern Ireland this year of £62 million, adding up to a total of £873 million, which is £557 per head and a 22 per cent. real increase since 1979. In the Eastern health board area this year there are new developments of £2.135 million. We have an excellent Health Service, and it will continue to be an excellent service that is properly funded by the Government.

Mr. John D. Taylor
Having sacked the present chairman of the Eastern board, is the Minister aware of the pleasure throughout the people's Eastern board area that he has not found another yes-man from the area to act as chairman and has had to look outside it to find a chairman to act as his henchman?

§ Mr. Needham
That is an astonishing allegation. The next chairman of the Eastern board is the present vice-chairman, and before the right hon. Gentleman makes comments about the integrity and position of the new chairman, he should get his facts right.

§ Mr. Kilfedder
Is it correct to say that the outgoing chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board has warned the Minister and the Department of Health and Social Services that as a result of Government cuts there will be drastic reductions in the service available to people in the board's area, and that, further, consultants, doctors, nurses and ancillary worker representatives have all protested to the Minister? When will he respond to the people's demands?

§ Mr. Needham
As the hon. Gentleman knows, of the amount of rationalisation and savings required of the Eastern health board this year—£7.6 million—£5.2 million has been found by the board with no reduction in services in the acute sector. Also, there are plans for £2.135 million 510 worth of new developments. I am sure that the Eastern board will find the remaining funds it is looking for within its budget of hundreds of millions of pounds. I regret that so many hon. Members representing constituencies in Northern Ireland continue to denigrate the excellent Health Service there, which has adequate levels of funding.