Connected Health plans to withdraw domiciliary care services from some rural areas of Northern Ireland due to insufficient funding. Chief executive Ryan Williams stated that health officials ignored prior warnings about funding and management issues in the independent care sector. He pointed to high fuel costs, payments from health trusts, and lack of Real Living Wage extension for care workers as factors making rural services unviable.

The independent sector delivers around 80% of home care visits for elderly and vulnerable people, with health trusts providing the remainder. More than 2,600 people wait for home care packages across Northern Ireland health trusts. Demand for these packages continues to rise.

A leaked Southern Health Trust document outlines plans to shorten home care visits and reduce daily visit numbers. Morning and night visits would drop from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. Lunch and tea visits would fall from 20 minutes to 15 minutes. One-carer packages would shift from four visits per day to three, and two-carer packages from five to four.

Pauline Shepherd, chief executive of the Independent Health and Care Providers, stated that Southern Trust changes would require care workers to fit more visits into schedules, prioritizing time over needs. She noted no consultation occurred on these plans. Shepherd added that other health trusts consider similar adjustments.

Southern Health Trust recorded over 41,000 sickness absence days in its home care service last year, equivalent to 113 staff off daily, costing £2,570,966. This led to 550 missed visits. The trust's internal home care costs £39.74 per hour, double the independent sector's £21.25 per hour.

A Southern Health Trust spokesperson said the trust identifies new ways of working to allocate time to other service users. The Department of Health noted trusts assess home care to ensure appropriate, proportionate, and person-centred care based on individual needs. The department cited budget challenges across the health and social care system.

DUP MLA Gareth Wilson raised concerns about rural service losses, stating vulnerable people and families depend on them. Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart called for Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to address the issues urgently and confirmed writing to him and the Southern Trust chief executive.