The Strangford MLA was speaking after a meeting of the Education Committee, which heard evidence from the Special School Strategic Leadership Group (SSSLG) on the impact that the planned removal of nursing provision in some special schools could have, as well as the lack of any provision in some Trust areas.

Mr Mathison said: “Nursing provision in special schools is essential. I was first made aware of plans to remove nursing support from special schools in the South Eastern Trust area over a year ago, and have since been working with a group of local special school principals to lobby both the Education and Health Ministers on this issue.

“Up until late last year, the concerns of principals had not been acted upon, and only when I convened a joint meeting with the Health and Education Ministers was a review announced.

“Perhaps even more worryingly, in some Trust areas there is no nursing provision at all, meaning some schools are left carrying unacceptably high levels of risk for the children in their care.

“Children attending these schools can have extremely profound and complex medical conditions, and the suggestion that classroom assistants can take over duties previously undertaken by a medical professional is simply unfair. Assistants go above and beyond their duties to look after these children, but ultimately are not clinically trained to manage this level of complexity. 

“Whilst it’s welcome that a review into nursing provision in special schools is now underway, it remains unclear if the Health Minister will even consider reinstating nursing provision in all special schools as an option when it concludes.

“Nursing provision can be life-saving, and it must be reinstated in all special schools that require it as soon as possible.”