Marie-Louise Connolly

The Northern and South Eastern health trusts in Northern Ireland paid Liaison Care £202,000 and £213,000 respectively to review high-cost social care packages, under an arrangement allowing the company to earn up to 33% of any reduction in care costs. The company reviewed 130 people remotely, including adults transferred from Muckamore Abbey Hospital, prompting complaints from relatives and an apology from Belfast Health Trust. Department of Health officials raised concerns that remote assessments conducted from England might fall outside Northern Ireland’s social care regulatory framework and leave service users without effective avenues for complaints or professional sanctions. RQIA initially ordered Liaison Care to stop operating, but later lifted the order after deciding the company did not need to register. Trusts paused and have since resumed engagement, while the Department of Health is seeking standard governance arrangements and stresses that statutory responsibility for assessment and care decisions remains with the trusts.

The Northern and South Eastern health trusts in Northern Ireland paid Liaison Care £202,000 and £213,000 respectively to review high-cost social care packages, under an arrangement allowing the consultancy to receive up to 33% of any savings it identifies. The company remotely assessed 130 people, including adults moved from Muckamore Abbey Hospital, prompting complaints from two families and an apology from Belfast Health Trust. Department of Health officials raised concerns about oversight, professional registration and the lack of recourse through Northern Ireland’s regulatory system. The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority temporarily ordered Liaison Care to stop operating, but later lifted the order after deciding it did not need to register. The trusts have resumed engagement while developing governance procedures, and Liaison Care maintains that its reviews are conducted by qualified professionals under quality-assurance standards.

Surgeons from across the UK and Ireland warn that failing to modernise emergency general surgery services in Northern Ireland could worsen staffing pressures, patient-safety risks, cancer waiting times and health inequalities. They support consolidating the Northern Health Trust’s emergency general surgery service at Antrim Area Hospital, following reviews that found existing arrangements difficult to staff and unable to meet national standards. The proposal has triggered local opposition around Causeway Hospital, with campaigners and retired consultant Owen Finnegan arguing that the evidence is inadequate and that removing the service could weaken wider healthcare provision. The dispute contributed to Mike Nesbitt’s resignation as health minister after UUP leader Jon Burrows opposed the withdrawal. New minister Robbie Butler says he will seek expert evidence and public input before making a sustainable decision.