To ask the Minister of Health what research has been undertaken into the rising number of call-outs to the NI Ambulance Service during the pandemic arising from lack of access to appointments with GPs.

I want to stress that GP practices have remained open and are providing face to face appointments for those patients who are assessed as requiring them. Research has not been carried out by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and therefore my Department is not aware of any link between the availability of GP appointments and ambulance call-outs. NIAS has advised that pressures in the system have been caused by a range of factors including capacity in emergency departments, hospital wards and in the social care sector.