Health Minister Robin Swann has issued a direct plea to his Stormont ministerial colleagues to find a way forward in agreeing a budget to help resolve the crisis in the health service.
Mr Swann said that the failure of political parties to agree a three-year budget had "cruelly robbed" patients and health staff of the best chance in a decade of reforming services.
The current strain on hospitals this week led the Northern Trust to declare a "potential major incident" due to severe pressures in the hospital's Emergency Department.
