To ask the Minister of Health for his Department’s assessment of the impact of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s decision to not permit carers employed via Direct Payments to administer medication or feeding via a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube.

Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) are responsible for the provision of health and social care services in accordance with population and individual assessed need. It is therefore not considered appropriate for my Department to comment on the impact of specific operational decisions made by any HSCT.

Individuals can choose to avail of Direct Payments, rather than availing of statutory service provision, aligned to assessed need. My Department is aware of the challenges regarding care provision related to the administration of medication or feeding via a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube.

My Department is urgently undertaking a review of the delegation of health care tasks in relation to care provision and is engaging with stakeholders, including HSCTs, service users and families to address the issues that have arisen and make recommendations on the way forward.

Pending completion of this work regional consideration will be required in respect of recommendations, to determine implementation of changes as perceived appropriate, to address important care considerations.