Northern Ireland’s government needs a “reality check” on funding pharmacy and the healthcare system, warned its health minister yesterday (February 13).
Northern Ireland’s Mike Nesbitt told members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) at the Assembly Health Committee meeting that demand for services is “always growing” but budgets need to match this as “pressure for increased spending … is immense”.
He said increased National Insurance contributions for pharmacists, GPs and social care providers, as well as pay and price inflation, will increase costs despite being asked to reduce spending.
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“My department is projecting a funding gap of some £400m for 2025/26,” Nesbitt said.
“The Health and Social Care system will be asked to deliver in the region of £200m in new savings for the second year running.”
He added that getting waiting lists down, introducing more care outside of hospitals and hiring more staff will “require investment”.
No “freeze” to health spending
The health minister also gave a bleak assessment of the long-term future for funding as he shared how the age 85 and over population will increase by “122.2%”. The age 65 and over population “projected to increase by 49.6% between mid-2022 and mid-2047” too.
“With [increased life expectancy] come inescapable realities for public services and public spending … older people need more health care and more social care. That has massive budgetary implications.
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“Let’s not pretend we can reduce or virtually freeze health spending – while providing the level of services we want and that the public rightly demand,” he added.
It comes as the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced this week (February 10) the appointment of Canice Ward as its new chief executive after nine months with only a “caretaker” leader in place.
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In January, Northern Ireland became the only country in the UK to extend its NHS flu vaccination programme to the 50-64 age group amid increasing pressure on hospitals.
And the Northern Irish Department of Health (DH) announced in December that “an additional £15m” will be invested into community pharmacy and GP pharmacy by April 2027, “subject to additional funding”.