East Derry TUV candidate in May’s Assembly election, Jordan Armstrong, is caling for the setting p of a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the north.
In September last year, TUV leader Jim Allister handed over a petition containing over 80,000 signatures calling for the establishment of the service and on 12 October TUV hosted an event at Stormont which was introduced by the late Dr Hinds’ partner, Dr Janet Acheson, and which was addressed by Dr Brian Burns from Sydney, Australia, a world expert in HEMS provision.
Mr Armstrong said the cost of operating such a service was estimated by the Department of Health at just £1.8 million.
He added: “£1.8m is not a significant sum when people’s lives are at stake, particularly given the sums which are found to squander on other less worthy causes.
“For example, the cost of spin doctors in Stormont departments is £5m per year, and it is less than the £2m per year spent on Special Advisers!
“The money is there if Stormont would stop wasting it in areas which bring politics into contempt.
“We strongly believe that the cost difference of just £61,377 between a paramedic-led and physician-led service model is insignificant given the advantages of having a physician-led service.”
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