Swann welcomes October monitoring health allocation

Date published: 29 October 2021

Minister Swann said: ‘The vast majority of this funding was available to the Executive as a result of the increased health spending announcements by the UK Government.. The fact that the Executive allocated more than the funding received from this source, with allocations representing almost 90% of the available funding in this monitoring round reflects the scale of the challenges and pressures facing our health service.

For that I am grateful.

“In particular I am pleased that £70million has been allocated to allow for the implementation of the pay review body’s recommendation of a 3% pay increase for staff.

“The immense work and sacrifice of our staff over the course of this pandemic is I know appreciated by everyone in our society and I will continue to do all I can to show that appreciation in concrete terms going forward.

Minister Swann continued: “Recognising the acute pressures on elective care, I welcome the extra allocation made available for waiting list initiatives. The already over-subscribed Mental Health Support Fund will also now be expanded.”

Minister Swann concluded by saying:- “It would be remiss of me however not to reiterate that while additional allocations will always be welcome a long-term solution to the needs of Health and Social Services here require sustained and guaranteed funding over a number of years.

“I am heartened however that the message that a multi-year budget is essential, has been listened to by the UK Treasury.

“I will now liaise with the Finance Minister and Executive colleagues to explore the implications of the budget announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for Health funding here going forward.”