Doctor tells of ‘moral distress’

NORTHERN Ireland’s health service is facing pressures “never before seen on these shores”, MLAS have heard.

Mark Taylor, Northern Ireland director of the Royal College of Surgeons, told the Stormont Health Committee that surgeons are facing “moral distress” due to their inability to carry out operations because of the pandemic.

Mr Taylor said there are almost half a million people here waiting for surgery or first appointment with a hospital consultant, and this is increasing pressure on emergency departments.

The committee was hearing evidence about winter pressures.

Mr Taylor said: “We face pressures never seen before on these shores.

“Not only the effect of the Covid pandemic, and the brutalising effect that it has had on our staff and society as a whole but, also, the pressures that one was used to in the depths of winter [have instead come to] our shores at the end of July.

“And on top of that the difficulties of trying to sustain services has led to a moral distress in our ranks.

“The Northern Ireland waiting times were tragic before Covid and, unfortunately, they are now much worse.

“Waiting lists are at an all-time high; 474,445 people are waiting for surgery or a first appointment with a consultant, based on figures from November 2021.”

Mr Taylor said the RCS supported Health Minister Robin Swann’s elective care framework, launched in the summer to ease waiting list pressures.

He also told MLAS that the RCS supported the creation of surgical hubs across Northern Ireland.

He added: “This will make surgical services more sustainable and independent of the pressures we are experiencing.

“It will also future-proof the service for further pandemics or winter pressures as they arise.”