Unionist Association welcomes announcement by Minister

In a statement yesterday, Tuesday, they said: “As an Association some of whose members have family friends needing to travel to Belfast everyday for 6 weeks for radiotherapy and a number of friends having to stay in accommodation in Belfast during what is a tiring and traumatic period the UUP in Londonderry welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Health regarding the provision of a Radiotherapy Unit based in the city.

“During his tenure of office the previous Minister of Health, UUP MLA Michael Mc Gimpsey made significant investment in Altnagelvin Hospital and we are pleased that this is to be developed further.

“We made known our disappointment at the time when the Minister announced the postponement of the Unit and share the pleasure of the broader community that the situation is being addressed favourably.

“We viewed the situation pertaining to the Unit as a collective failure to agree a budget which adequately addressed funding for agreed priorities.

“This is still our view but in wishing to move forward it is the hope of the UUP in Foyle that the new Assembly will find a way of working more inclusively and productively, than in the past.

“We welcome the assurances of the Minister that developmental and sustainable funding is being made available through savings and we assume from this that the conjecture engaged in by the former and present Minister for Finance, Sammy Wilson in March 2011 that he did not rule out the introduction of charges for certain Health Services is now ruled out.”