Northern Ireland's health service needs additional funding so it does not have to continually call for military assistance during times of crisis, Robin Swann has warned.
The Health Minister was speaking as he met British Army medics who have completed their latest deployment to help relieve pressure on staff at the Ulster Hospital.
He said the army should not be seen as a "permanent fixture" in Northern Ireland’s hospitals. It is the third time troops have stepped in during the Covid-19 crisis following requests from the Department of Health under an arrangement known as Maca (Military Aid to Civilian Authorities).
On this occasion, 80 medics and 30 support staff were deployed. Twenty medics were sent to the Ulster Hospital, with the rest