JM Reid

Amy Doherty is the latest woman to be murdered in Northern Ireland. There are no shortage of words, slogans and straplines about tackling violence against women & girls but insufficient action within our justice system.

The UK COVID Inquiry Module 3 report largely records what happened but not why. The recommendations? Healthcare 101 - basic principles long established. I'm bereft that after all my time & analysis on a module so personal to me, this reads as a statement of the bleedin' obvious🧵

They stroke their chins and wonder how did Epstein get away with it. How do any of them get away with it?, Then they board a plane for a photo op with a known abuser f continue to wonder.

In the current climate, I thought it was worth sharing some realities many bereaved or harmed families recognise.

‘Appears’ to have fallen short… Until trusts stop using minimising and gaslighting language (some more than others), how can families have any faith that investigations don’t start from a deny first position?

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the improving statistics and commended healthcare staff for their work to reduce waiting lists. Minister Nesbitt said: “One of my key priorities is reducing waiting lists and I welcome the incremental improvements we have seen in the latest figures. For the first time in recent years, we have seen a fall in the number of people waiting for an outpatient appointment, against a backdrop of rising demand. “In the last quarter, the number of patients waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment at hospitals in Northern Ireland has decreased by over 15,000 patients, while the number of patients waiting for inpatient or day case admission to hospitals fell by 7,316, an encouraging downward trend for the second quarter in a row. In addition, the figures highlight 6,673 fewer patients waiting for a diagnostic test, compared to the previous quarter. “This represents a tremendous effort to build capacity, improve productivity, embrace new ways of working and ensure patients receive the right treatment, in the right place, in as timely a manner as possible. “There is more work to do. Every statistic represents a patient waiting for an appointment or a procedure. However, despite the increasing pressure on our services, these statistics recognise the determination to reform our services to meet patient need. Our healthcare staff are at the centre of this effort to increase elective capacity, improving waiting times and patient outcomes. “I have no doubt that the ongoing delivery of the Elective Care Framework will continue to improve these statistics. Significant numbers of patients are being treated through our elective care facilities and, in combination with the modernisation of outpatient services, integration of GP elective procedures and a digitally enhanced approach to the delivery of care, I anticipate that we will see further improvement. I am encouraged by today’s figures, while acknowledging the sustained effort and continued collaboration required to transform our elective care.”