Commenting on the ‘Life Expectancy in Northern Ireland 2022-24’ statistics issued today by the Department of Health, Dr Alan Stout, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, said: “These figures confirm what most people working in health and social care services have known for some time now: We have a growing, ageing population, but we are struggling to keep them well. This is particularly reflected in the ‘healthy and disability-free life expectancy’ figures which are quite stark. We have also been acutely aware of the growing health inequality crisis as detailed in these figures for quite some time. 
 
“The most concerning takeaway from these statistics is that it has all been predicted and highlighted in various HSC reports issued over the past 15 years, but we have failed to act on them. It calls for an immediate change in our thinking, a change in our prioritisation and ultimately a change in how we plan and run our health and social care services to make a difference. We welcome the Health minister’s plans to bring in a three-year budget from next year as this should allow for some breathing space to properly plan for future patient numbers. We also need to ensure we have enough staff to treat growing patient numbers, and that means valuing doctors with timely and adequate pay uplifts alongside targeted workforce planning.”