Northern Ireland's Health Minister Mike Nesbitt told the health committee that the health system requires better community care to address patient flow issues in secondary hospitals.

Nesbitt appeared before the committee on Thursday with Department of Health officials Tracey McCaig, Jim Wilkinson, and Chris Matthews. Committee members questioned him on nurses' pay, a meningitis outbreak in Kent, a review of the cervical cancer screening programme, and water safety at Belfast's new maternity hospital.

He committed to prioritising pay increases and a real living wage in Health and Social Care as soon as possible. Nesbitt linked hospital pressures to insufficient community capacity and called for a shift to prevention and early intervention this year.

The minister stressed building ties with GPs, community pharmacists, dental services, and independent care providers to enable this change before the mandate ends. He stated a good system cures the sick and keeps healthy people healthy, but current efforts focus too much on late-stage treatment, harming patients and budgets.

Nesbitt has not received the report from Professor Sir Frank Atherton on the cervical screening programme, which includes recommendations on a public inquiry. He cannot decide on an inquiry until reviewing it.

On the maternity hospital water, Matthews noted recent tests confirm it is safe to drink after bacteria detection last June. Signs advise against drinking due to ongoing construction work.