Commenting on the results of the Westminster election, chair elect of BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, Dr Alan Stout, said: “I want to take this opportunity to both congratulate our new and returning MPs for Northern Ireland but also urge them to make health their number one priority in Westminster.

“The health system in Northern Ireland is under significant pressure. Doctors in our hospitals and GP surgeries are being forced to deliver care in a system reeling from years of political instability, underfunding, declining workforce numbers and the worst waiting lists in the UK. Add in years of below inflationary, delayed pay rises and workforce morale has never been lower, forcing our secondary care doctors into pay disputes with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

“The Westminster government cannot stand back and allow the Northern Ireland health service to continue this way. We are urging Northern Ireland MPs to make Health your top priority in Westminster, so we can give the public the care they deserve. That includes working towards securing the necessary, multi-year funding required to reverse the impact of years of underinvestment in the health service and its workforce so we can deliver high quality, patient-centred care for generations to come.”

Notes to editors

• Read BMA’s full Westminster election manifesto.
• Dr Stout commences his role as chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland Council from 11 July 2024.