To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he has any concerns regarding the impact on service provision by hospitals such as the Causeway Hospital following the announcement by Ballykelly Private Hospital that they are facing staff cuts.

The North West Independent Hospital in Ballykelly is one of a number of independent sector healthcare providers with which some Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts have contracts for the provision of additional elective capacity through non-recurrent waiting list funding.

A decision was taken by the Health and Social Care Board in July 2014 to pause waiting list initiative arrangements pending clarification of the 2014/15 financial position. The Board wrote to independent sector providers on 1st October 2014 to say that pending further clarification of the 2014/15 financial position, no new patients would be transferred to the independent sector and patients who had not yet been given a date for their assessment should be returned to the referring HSC Trust.

I regret that the HSC Board has had to take this measure and I sympathise with the uncertainty it has caused for the management and staff of the North West Independent Hospital; however it is necessary to constrain spending in light of the significant financial pressures which my Department is facing. I met with management of the North West Independent Hospital on 10 October 2014 to discuss these issues at first hand.

I am advised that the HSC Board and its Local Commissioning Groups are continuing to work with the HSC Trusts to address shortfalls in elective capacity within the resources available. This may include increasing capacity at Causeway and other hospitals.