Bairbre de Brun: Ordered review

"I have therefore asked Dr Maurice Hayes to lead this review group and to report back to me in six months time."

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, Dr Hayes, who is a former ombudsman, said the review would be independent of the minister and consultation would be a high priority.

"We're not going into the thing either with an axe or a blood transfusion," he said.

"We're trying to find the best way round this. We will be extremely anxious to hear from all those peole who have been arguing the case for local hospitals."

Dr Hayes will be stepping down from his position as chairman of the trust of the Mater Hospital in Belfast, as it is one of the hospitals where emergency services were previously earmarked for closure.

Decision on hospitals

After the review team reports, the minister will have to consult on the recommendations.

It will likely be another 18 months before any decision is made on the future of acute hospitals.

Meanwhile, the minister also said there were plans to train an extra 100 nurses in the province each year for the next three years.

The minister said that the recruitment and retention of staff were of crucial importance, particularly in nursing.

She announced that she would shortly be launching an overall human resources strategy for the HPSS, which will incorporate a new recruitment drive to bring trained staff back into the workforce.

We need to make progress in implementing Children Matter and in expanding and updating residential care provision

Bairbre de Brun

The minister also outlined her plans for public consultation on a new and comprehensive public health strategy that involves all sectors - voluntary, community, public and private - in working together to improve the health of the population in Northern Ireland.

A public health consultation document should be published by the end of October 2000, and the minister hopes to publish the final strategy by April 2001.

It also emerged that spending plans of �53m have been approved, there will be �5m to tackle waiting lists and �2m for children's services.

Commenting on ongoing concern about children's services, particularly in the area of residential care, the minister said: "Children's services are a key priority for me, a priority which I know is shared by the assembly committee.

"We need to make progress in implementing 'Children Matter' and in expanding and updating residential care provision.

"I have therefore set up a 'Children Matter' Taskforce to identify the scale of additional provision needed, the specific schemes to deliver this, and a project plan to bring this into reality."