THE DIRECTOR of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for Hamilton to resume his role as health minister as soon as possible.
Mr Hamilton was one of several DUP ministers that resigned their posts as a result of the political crisis at Stormont.
Concerns have been raised recently about a number of issues affecting the health service, including long waiting lists for hospital appointments.
Speaking to the BBC’s The View, Janice Smyth has described the current situation as “unsustainable.”
"Obviously the minister doesn't nurse patients and provide the medical care to patients but he does provide the leadership and the accountability and whilst he's not there, we don't have that," said Smyth.
"The decisions we're looking for are Transforming your Care. What are we going to do after the Donaldson review, what are we going to do about the review of commissioning that was done?
"All of these things that have been done and nothing implemented and nothing done about them and it is not sustainable."
Also speaking on The View, Mr Hamilton said that he appreciated the “gravity of the situation” and wanted to return to his post to address the problems.
"I know some of the decisions are not necessarily popular decisions, but I think it will be my responsibility to bring those forward and to set those choices in front of people but it does require political consensus,” he said,
"This is an issue which has unfortunately been kicked around by some as a political football."
SDLP health spokesman Fearghal McKinney has also called for Hamilton to resume his position.
McKinney accused Mr Hamilton of “abdicating his responsibility” and also criticised "a series of DUP ministers" for failing to make significant changes to the health service.
"There is no principle attached to this," said McKinney.
"I understand he's got difficulties about recent murders, but his own colleague Arlene Foster is in government, but she's looking after the pounds, but Simon is not looking after the patients."
Mr Hamilton refused to confirm whether he would return permanently to his post before the release of a security assessment on paramilitaries, due to be published in mid-October.
Leading UK health expertNigel Edwards said on Thursday that "heads would roll" in England if the waiting list figures were on the same scale as in Northern Ireland.
