AQW 33585/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 15/10/2025
Answered On Date: 20/10/2025
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether the further withdrawal of nursing provision from special schools will be halted, as further work continues on a comprehensive multi-agency study, following the publication of the Review of Population Health Needs of Children with Complex Medical Needs Attending Special Schools in Northern Ireland.

Answer:

All Special Education Needs (SEN) schools across Northern Ireland have appropriate nursing provision available to manage the identified healthcare needs of the pupils attending them. While the service delivery model can differ across the region, and has been amended in at least one school recently, no nursing provision has been withdrawn and there are no plans to do so.

My Department is set to commence work, alongside colleagues from Education and other key stakeholders, to progress the recommendations contained in the Review of Population Health Needs of Children with Complex Medical Needs Attending Special Schools in Northern Ireland. This will seek to ensure the best outcomes for all these children, to enable them to access the curriculum in a school setting while receiving the right care at the right time by the right person and in the right place.