The South Belfast MLA has said: “The lack of social care packages is nothing new, and the Department of Health has been well-aware of it and has been fire-fighting. However, a lack of robust policy and planning and huge financial pressures have led to the point where our entire health service is being negatively impacted as people are unable to be discharged from hospital settings.

“The Power to People 2017 report looked at the need for reform of the adult social care sector and warned of the dangers of not doing so. Unfortunately, following years of stop-start politics here, the social care sector has not received the attention it has needed and with an ageing population we have been led to this crisis point.

“It’s long since time the DUP ended its boycott of the Assembly. The entire health & social care sector needs an Executive and a health minister to get to grips with the multi-layered difficulties that it is facing.”