Minister to reveal plans for hospital network revamp

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is set to outline plans to revamp the hospital network in Northern Ireland.

The reconfiguration plans are contained in a new document, Hospitals - Creating a Network for Better Outcomes, which is due to be published on Tuesday.

In a letter to Northern Ireland Assembly Members (MLAs), the minister said it was part of a roadmap "aimed at setting health and social care services on a clear path to recovery".

He also plans to announce a three-year strategy for health to cover the remainder of the assembly mandate.

"Reconfiguration is an ongoing reality in our health service as evidenced, for example, by the development of a network of elective care hubs and last year's decision to consolidate in-patient maternity services at Antrim Hospital," said Mr Nesbitt.

"Forthcoming reconfiguration decisions for me will include the outcome of the Northern HSC Trust public consultation on emergency general surgery and proposals from the review of breast cancer services I announced in recent days."

The new document will not pinpoint where any new medical specialty hubs will be located.

The minister said his department would need executive and assembly support for the plans and that current public finances would make progress difficult.

"I will continue to make the case for significantly more funding for health," he said.

Meanwhile, an independent review into maternity services here will be published next month.