Speaking after challenging the Minister, Mike Nesbitt, in the Assembly’s Health Committee, Mrs. Dodds said:
“Every penny of the health budget should be directed towards improving outcomes for patients. Yet, at a time when people are languishing on waiting lists, desperately waiting for life changing or even lifesaving interventions, the Belfast Trust is instead funnelling money into RSE training for teachers - something that is neither needed nor an effective use of health resources or teachers’ time.
This reflects a worrying lack of prioritisation within the Trust. The focus must be on frontline healthcare - reducing waiting times, ensuring timely cancer diagnoses, and addressing the crisis in emergency care. That is where the funding should be going, not into courses that fall far outside the core responsibilities of the health service and that are agenda driven, not outcome driven.
At the Health Committee, I pressed the Minister to ensure that every penny within the health budget is spent where it is needed most - on patient care. People expect and deserve a health service that focuses on treating the sick and supporting those in medical need, not diverting resources into areas that do not deliver better health outcomes. The Minister must ensure that this is what is happening under his watch.”