Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt has resigned as Northern Ireland Health Minister after a row with UUP leader Jon Burrows over the potential withdrawal of emergency surgery at a County Derry hospital.
SDLP leader Matthew O’Toole says the resignation highlights the need for more serious and responsible government at Stormont.
The Causeway Hospital in Coleraine could lose its emergency general surgery services as part of a Northern Trust proposal.
The Belfast Telegraph reports a specialist unit, which offers mental health services, is also facing potential closure.
The proposal was put to Mike Nesbitt for approval, sparking a row with his party leader Jon Burrows, who made a public statement opposing the closure.
The BBC is quoting one senior health service source as saying that intervention was a hell of a slap in the face for Mike Nesbitt.
Earlier this year, Mr Nesbitt had told a Stormont Health Committee meeting that he would walk away if he felt his party was trying to influence how he carried out his role.
