THE DUP is coming under increased pressure to ditch its resignation-renomination policy as the crisis in the health service deepens.
The party's critics are focussing their attention on former health minister Simon Hamilton, who along with four other DUP ministers resigned from the executive last month over claims that IRA members were involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan.
DUP finance minister Arlene Foster has remained in her post and has also assumed the role of acting first minister.
But as the already acute problems with the health service intensified throughout the week so too did the calls for Mr Hamilton to return to his desk.
Chair of the Stormont health committee Maeve McLaughlin said the general public and an ever-growing number of senior health professionals believed the former minister's absence was damaging the health service. Since mid-September Mr Hamilton has resigned three times and been fleetingly re-appointed to the role twice.
"It is becoming abundantly more clear that he needs to do this as a matter of urgency," Ms McLaughlin said last night.
"A minister turning up for work 30 minutes a week doesn’t cut it in the real world, is failing patients and is sticking two fingers up to the electorate."
The Sinn Féin MLA that while the DUP continued with its resignation-renomination policy waiting lists were growing.
"Nobody will see any return to work as a climb down, health issues are too serious for point scoring," she said.
"What we all need is a full-time health minister at the helm to address the current crisis in the system."
SDLP health spokesman Fearghal McKinney called for an emergency meeting of the Stormont health committee.
"Without a Minister to provide strategic direction to clinicians and staff, it’s imperative that the rest of us step up to the mark and stand up for patients," he said.
