Health Minister has called for a “reality
check” on the funding needs of health and social care in Northern
Ireland.
Speaking today at the Assembly Health Committee, Mr Nesbitt said
demand for services will inevitably keep growing and budgets will
have to reflect this fact. He outlined significant cost increases
due to a number of factors including pay and price inflation,
increased National Insurance contributions for GPs, pharmacists
and social care providers, and rising demand.
The Minister said: “As a result, my Department is
projecting a funding gap of some £400m for 2025/26.
The Health and Social Care system will be asked to
deliver in the region of £200m in new savings for the second year
running. That's an ambitious and very challenging target and
savings on this scale will inevitably impact on services. It is
not without significant risk.
“There needs to be a reality check.
Demand is always growing and the pressure for increased spending
across many different services is immense. If we want to get
waiting lists down, that will require investment. If we want more
care outside of hospital, that will require investment. If we
want to invest more in staffing, that too comes with a price
tag.”
Mr Nesbitt referred to the recently published official population
projections from NISRA.
The Minister said: “The population aged
65 and over is projected to increase by 49.6% between mid-2022
and mid-2047. Likewise, the population aged 85 and over is
projected to increase by 122.2% over the same period. Increased
life expectancy is a massive achievement for society and modern
medicine. With it come inescapable realities for public services
and public spending. Older people need more health care and more
social care.
“Demand will grow very sharply and that has massive
budgetary implications. Yes, we can do things differently and, in
some areas, slow the increase in costs. But let's not pretend we
can reduce or virtually freeze health spending – while providing
the level of services we want and that the public rightly
demand.”
Notes to editors:
- NISRA population Projections: 2022-based Population
Projections for Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland Statistics
and Research Agency
