Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Donnelly said: “The Health Minister must urgently publish the long overdue Winter Preparedness Plan, which we were due to see in August, then September, and it's now October. These pushbacks and delays are unacceptable.
“This is not just a missed deadline on paper. It is a failure of planning that has real consequences, unnecessary loss of life, and growing strain on staff across our health service.
“Last year’s winter plan was not published until November, when winter pressures were already impacting hospitals. Publishing at that point in the year was too little, too late, and we’re seeing the same again this year.
“I find it shocking that the Minister asserted that this year's delay would not have any impact on workforce retention. As a nurse myself, I have lived the impacts. I have seen them first-hand.
“Workforce is always identified as one of the key challenges. Does the Minister really believe delayed plans to prepare for winter pressures, leaving staff to face this alone, is not part of the problem? This is one issue on a long list, but it still has a very real and damaging impact, and it should not be dismissed.
“Every week without a plan means patients waiting longer, staff pushed further, and unnecessary loss of life. In Northern Ireland, in 2022, it was suggested that there were more than 1,400 excess deaths linked with significant delays. This is a harrowing figure.
“Excess deaths and dangerous delays cannot be brushed off as just a late policy paper. This is not about paperwork or process. It has hard-hitting consequences for patients and staff alike, and the Minister must act with urgency.”
“This is not just a missed deadline on paper. It is a failure of planning that has real consequences, unnecessary loss of life, and growing strain on staff across our health service.
“Last year’s winter plan was not published until November, when winter pressures were already impacting hospitals. Publishing at that point in the year was too little, too late, and we’re seeing the same again this year.
“I find it shocking that the Minister asserted that this year's delay would not have any impact on workforce retention. As a nurse myself, I have lived the impacts. I have seen them first-hand.
“Workforce is always identified as one of the key challenges. Does the Minister really believe delayed plans to prepare for winter pressures, leaving staff to face this alone, is not part of the problem? This is one issue on a long list, but it still has a very real and damaging impact, and it should not be dismissed.
“Every week without a plan means patients waiting longer, staff pushed further, and unnecessary loss of life. In Northern Ireland, in 2022, it was suggested that there were more than 1,400 excess deaths linked with significant delays. This is a harrowing figure.
“Excess deaths and dangerous delays cannot be brushed off as just a late policy paper. This is not about paperwork or process. It has hard-hitting consequences for patients and staff alike, and the Minister must act with urgency.”