a very brave speech from a retiring GP in Derry/LondonDerry .

He shared that every week he had patients plead with him not to be sent to Altnagelvin which is overwhelmed.

BMA Northern Ireland’s outgoing council chair, Dr Tom Black, has used his final speech to plead for more funding and staff in the health service.

“This cannot be done with an underfunded, understaffed, overloaded health service.

“The medical profession and this body the BMA have a responsibility to stand up for the service and its patients.”

In his speech he outlined:

• the huge waiting time for patients in Northern Ireland, citing times among a list of 13 weeks for red flag dermatology,
• seven years for a hernia repair,
• three years for a first paediatric surgery appointment and
• 12 weeks for a red flag breast referral.
• many of my patients would rather die at home (2 or 3 each week) than go to Altnagelvin. It is overwhelmed.

Dr Black continued, “Healthcare workers are suffering increasing stress and burnout. The moral injury doctors face because of these waiting times is high“.