AQW 50475/22-27
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 03/07/2026
Answered On Date: 04/08/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, following the May 2026 Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Disability and Poverty in Northern Ireland, to detail any steps his Department is taking to support disabled people to remain independent and reduce long-term costs.
Answer:
I recognise the concerns highlighted in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Disability and Poverty in Northern Ireland report (May 2026), particularly in relation to the impact that delays in health and social care services can have on disabled people’s health, independence, ability to work and financial wellbeing. While waiting lists across Health and Social Care remain under significant pressure due to increasing demand, workforce challenges and longstanding capacity constraints, my Department is taking forward a range of measures to improve access to care. During 2025/2026, Health and Social Care services delivered over 385,000 additional assessments, diagnostics and treatments through the Elective Care Framework. My Department continues to invest in elective care centres, diagnostic and treatment capacity, regional waiting-list initiatives, workforce recruitment and retention, and enhanced regional working across Health and Social Care Trusts. My Department is also progressing the 10-Year Reforming Adult Social Care and Support Strategic Plan (2026–2036) and accompanying Delivery Plan. These are focused on six strategic priorities: individual choice, support for unpaid carers, prevention and early intervention, the centrality of home, a valued workforce, and sustainable system building. The reforms are intended to support a greater shift towards preventative, person-centred and community-based models of care. Prevention and early intervention are key elements of this programme. Although in the current financial climate, we cannot invest as much as I would like to in this programme of work, work is underway to develop a preventative adult care and support framework to strengthen early intervention, maximise community assets and reduce reliance on crisis-led services. The Strategic Plan also promotes the use of digital, assistive and adaptive technologies to support independence and improve outcomes. In March 2026, I published my Department’s vision for Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing, which aims to deliver more care closer to home through strengthened prevention, early intervention and integration across health and social care services. As part of this transformation, Health and Social Care organisations will work towards shifting 2% of expenditure annually from hospital-based services to community-based provision over the three-year period commencing in 2026/2027. This will be delivered through the new neighbourhood model and the new Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. Work is ongoing with a range of external partners to support preventative and early intervention approaches, including Macmillan Cancer Support, AstraZeneca and the Regional Obesity Management Service. Supporting disabled people to remain independent is a key objective of these reforms. My Department is committed to increasing uptake of Self-Directed Support and Direct Payments, enabling individuals to exercise greater choice and control over how their care needs are met. Work continues with stakeholders, people with lived experience and Health and Social Care Trusts to improve access to these arrangements. In addition, Health and Social Care Trusts continue to provide reablement, homecare and community-based support services that help people maintain independence and participate fully in community life. Collectively, these measures are intended to improve access to care, strengthen preventative services, reduce waiting times, support independence and reduce reliance on more intensive interventions over the longer term. My Department remains committed to improving outcomes for disabled people and ensuring they receive the care and support they require.
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