NI health: Northern Ireland is 'getting the health service we pay for'

Peter May said without sustained funding it was impossible to guarantee timely care to those in need

People in Northern Ireland are getting "the health service we pay for", the Department of Health's top civil servant Peter May has said.

He warned that without sustained investment people must "recalibrate" their expectations on service delivery.

The permanent secretary said fundamental questions must be addressed on the health service's future.

It comes as the Royal College of Nursing confirmed its plans to take strike action before Christmas.

On Friday, the trade union said its members in Northern Ireland, England and Wales would walk out on 15 and 20 December in a dispute about pay and staffing levels.

Mr May told the annual conference of the Northern Ireland Branch of the Healthcare Financial Management Association in Belfast it was getting harder to deliver what people needed.

"With the resources available to us, we are finding it increasingly difficult to deliver the health and social care system needed to meet all the demands of the population," he said.

"We all want to get back to a health service that provides timely care to everyone who needs it when they need it.

"That's far from guaranteed. Without sustained funding, it will be impossible," he continued.

'Ageing population and advances in science'

Mr May told delegates that while "many actions" could be taken to "make health and social care more efficient and effective….we must not pretend that efficiencies alone will close the widening gap between demand and supply."

• One of NI's largest GP practices at risk of closure

• Planned surgeries postponed at children's hospital

• Health department in NI faces £450m overspend

Mr May added: "The reality is also that our ageing population and advances in medical science mean the gap between demand and capacity is growing year-on-year, winter-on-winter."

Mr May's comments were made on the same day strike days were announced by the Royal College of Nursing

The senior civil servant also told the conference "it remains the case that the overwhelming majority of the most sick patients receive very high quality care."

"At the same time, many people requiring less time-critical care are having to wait much longer - often in pain and discomfort. This is not the level of care that the public expects or that any of us wants to provide."

He also told stressed to delegates the "importance of not losing hope in face of the current challenges".

Revealing details about its strike action, Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said nursing staff "had enough of being taken for granted, enough of low pay and unsafe staffing levels, enough of not being able to give our patients the care they deserve".

Under trade union laws, the union has to ensure life-preserving care is provided during the strikes, which will last from 08:00 to 20:00 GMT.