Health Minister McGimpsey should do his job, not lecture others

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill

SINN FÉIN has said it won’t take lectures from the under-performing Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, who has accused critics of the state of the health service in the North of playing politics.

The health minister refused to attend yesterday’s North/South Ministerial Council where health and all-Ireland co-operation in the recession dominated the agenda.

MLA for mid-Ulster Michelle O’Neill said:

“The minister said this morning he believes people here ‘deserve a wee bit of honesty’, so it is high time the minister starts being honest about the realities within his own department.

“Mr McGimpsey’s tenure has seen £16 million being paid out in ‘golden handshakes’ to managers in the NHS within the space of one year. This is not an efficient way run the health system. Add to this the report by the Auditor General, criticising the vast amount of wastage within the department and the reality of Michael McGimpsey’s failure as minister starts to become clear.

“While he continues to allow over £11 million per annum to be spent on bonuses, the public will know who is really letting them down and who needs to start being ‘a wee bit honest’.”

Michelle O’Neill said that Sinn Féin will continue to stand in defence of frontline services and staff.

“We will continue to highlight and oppose the sickening position of the department, which is seemingly about protecting the highest-paid bureaucrats as opposed to the men and women who make our healthcare system work and the people who avail of it day in and day out.”