To ask the Minister of Health whether there are any plans to ring-fence recurrent funding, to protect allied health professional cancer posts and ensure service continuity for patients.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are central to delivering cancer care across the entire patient pathway contributing to diagnosis, treatment, patient support, prehabilitation and rehabilitation, management of long-term effects, and palliative and end-of-life care. These roles are also important in supporting the delivery of many key actions within the Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland 2022–2032.

As I have previously outlined, the delivery of the Cancer Strategy, including funding for AHP posts to support this, will require significant and sustained investment. While recurrent funding to date has established an important foundation, substantially increased resources will be necessary to fully realise the Strategy’s intended outcomes.