Building a World Class Health System in a New Ireland – Mason and Cullen reflect on a successful event
Speaking after the event, Cathy Mason MLA said: “This was an important, constructive, and forward-looking conversation about the future of healthcare on our island and the opportunities that exist in a new Ireland to build a truly world class health service.
“Health and care services across our rural communities and border regions remain under enormous pressure.
“It makes little sense that we continue operating two separate health systems attempting to solve the same challenges independently on one small island.
“There was strong engagement from those in attendance, with people keen to discuss how greater cooperation and all-island planning can help deliver better outcomes for everyone – patients, workers, and communities.
“It is crucial that honest conversations around a new Ireland are open, respectful, and inclusive. We must create space for those who may not yet be convinced, or who hold different views, to engage in these discussions and help shape the future together.”
Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen said: “People want to talk about the future and healthcare is one of the first places they go because they understand how central it is to the lives of everyone in our communities.
“Too many families across rural communities and border areas are struggling to access the services they need, while healthcare workers continue to operate under immense pressure within systems that are overstretched and under-resourced.
“We want to see a health service that is public, universal, and planned on an all-island basis. One that is rooted in communities and capable of delivering safe, sustainable, and world-class care for everyone.
“The discussion in the Burrendale showed there is a genuine appetite for ambitious thinking about the future and about how we can build better public services for all our people.”
