Robbie Butler has been appointed as the new Northern Ireland health minister, replacing Mike Nesbitt who resigned amid a dispute over emergency general surgery at Causeway Hospital.

Nesbitt resigned on Tuesday after UUP leader Jon Burrows publicly opposed a proposal to move emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital in Coleraine to Antrim Area Hospital. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust had recommended the consolidation, saying the current arrangement was not sustainable because of difficulties maintaining 24-hour surgical cover at both sites. An independent review by Getting It Right First Time reached similar conclusions.

Burrows attended a town hall meeting in Coleraine last week in Nesbitt's place. He said he did not support removing the service and that emergency surgery should remain at Causeway. Nesbitt said this created shockwaves in the health system and that he was unwilling to learn his party leader's views through the media.

Nesbitt had previously agreed with Burrows on a single red line regarding Northern Ireland's participation in a UK puberty blocker trial. He accused Burrows of introducing a second red line without consulting him.

Butler, a Lagan Valley MLA and former firefighter, was announced on Thursday. He said he wanted a world-class health service that people could access more quickly and that he had no illusions about the scale of the challenge. He pledged to listen to frontline staff and patients.

Health bodies, including the Royal College of Surgeons, the British Medical Association, and the NI Confederation for Health and Social Care, expressed support for Nesbitt and concern about the timing. Roisin Coulter, chairwoman of the NI Confederation, urged the new minister to continue the department's reset plan.

Stormont's health committee met on Thursday to question departmental officials about the way forward. Chair Philip McGuigan said the committee needed to know what decisions had to be made and that internal party disputes should not affect patient safety.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said his party would have nominated a health minister if the UUP had not, and called for a quick appointment. Former UUP leader Doug Beattie said Nesbitt had no choice but to resign after being undermined.

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine from Fermanagh and South Tyrone invited Butler to visit her constituency to hear about rural healthcare challenges, including concerns about emergency general surgery access. She cited the RQIA report and said rural patients faced particular difficulties.