Mike Nesbitt has stepped down as Northern Ireland's health minister following a disagreement with Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows over hospital surgery services, it is understood. The dispute centred on plans to withdraw emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital, a policy Burrows publicly opposed but which aligned with the Department of Health's approach under Nesbitt.
Nesbitt has held the UUP leadership on two separate occasions, first between 2012 and 2017, and again from 2024 until earlier this year, when he handed the role to Burrows.
What sparked the disagreement?
The rift came to a head after Burrows, who represents North Antrim as an MLA, told constituents at a town hall meeting that he opposed removing emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital. His stance put him at odds with departmental policy, since the Northern Health Trust had previously advised that emergency general surgery be concentrated at just one of its hospital sites rather than provided at Causeway.
What is the background to the surgery dispute?
The underlying policy question is whether emergency general surgery should be relocated from Causeway Hospital to Antrim Area Hospital, according to reporting from the Belfast Telegraph. The Northern Health Trust's recommendation that the service be consolidated at a single site, rather than split across locations, has been the focus of concern among some local politicians and medical staff.
How does this fit with Nesbitt's earlier plans to step aside?
Nesbitt had already signalled on 2 January 2026 that he intended to give up the UUP leadership, saying he wanted to allow a successor time to establish themselves before the 2027 Assembly election, according to a report. Notably, Burrows himself had said on 26 January 2026 that he expected Nesbitt to remain in post as health minister until the end of the current Assembly term, according to separate coverage — a timeline that this resignation now cuts short.
What happens next?
Should the Northern Health Trust's proposal to centralise emergency general surgery at one site ultimately be approved, the final decision would fall to whoever holds the health minister's post, according to the Belfast Telegraph. No specific date for a further hearing or decision on the Causeway Hospital question was identified in available coverage.
Key Facts
- Mike Nesbitt has resigned as Northern Ireland's health minister amid a dispute with UUP leader Jon Burrows.
- The disagreement centred on removing emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital.
- Burrows, the North Antrim MLA, had voiced opposition to the change at a town hall meeting.
- Nesbitt previously led the UUP from 2012–2017 and again from 2024 until handing over to Burrows earlier this year.
- Burrows had said in January 2026 that he expected Nesbitt to stay on as health minister until the end of the Assembly term.
