Health and social care staff, and all those who work in the NHS here, have been congratulated by the Party’s spokesperson in Newry and Armagh, Nicola Campbell.

“More than half a million people here have received their first Coronavirus vaccination jab and thousands more will be vaccinated by the end of July”, Nicola said.

“Although we are not out of the woods yet, frontline health and social care staff, against all the odds, have held the line against the pandemic and have helped to ensure to that we are on course for the return of some sort of normality”, she added

“There can be no argument but that these successes have been achieved by virtue by the dedication and professionalism of all those involved in the planning and delivery of the vaccination programme and in the treatment and care of Covid positive patients.

Nor can there be any doubt that this was made possible by a centrally funded, centrally planned health and social care service”, Nicola said.

“We would not be where we are today if our health and care relied on private medical insurance or privatised hospitals”.

“For now, and for the future, the lessons are clear and telling”, said Nicola. “The NHS must be prioritised, strengthened and properly funded. The staff who deliver its services must be supported, developed and paid the wages they deserve. It’s not just the NHS that’s unsafe in private hands – its also the elderly, the vulnerable, the ill and all those in need.

“When we eventually emerge from this pandemic those are the priorities and the principles that need to be secured in the face of any attempts to turn a public health service into a private one under the guise of reform and restructuring“, “Nicola concluded.