A new health minister for Northern Ireland is expected to be announced later following the resignation of Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt from the post.
Nesbitt announced he was stepping down on Tuesday night amid a row with his party leader Jon Burrows.
It followed a clash over withdrawing emergency general surgery services from Causeway Hospital, where Nesbitt said the party leader had “introduced a second red line”.
An emergency meeting of Stormont’s health committee is also due to take place on Thursday to discuss the fall out from Nesbitt’s resignation.
On Tuesday night, Nesbitt said his time as health minster had been “the greatest privilege of his political career”.
Burrows said he was “disappointed” Nesbitt had quit but pledged his replacement in the Stormont executive job would “get going with gusto”.
He said he would make a decision “overnight” and confirm on Thursday who would replace Nesbitt but refused to rule himself out for the position.
On Wednesday, officials in the health service voiced their support for Nesbitt, saying he had “offered strong political leadership” and had “listened to clinical leaders”.
They included the Royal College of Surgeons, NI Confederation for Health and Social Care, the British Medical Association.
Stormont’s health committee will convene later with departmental officials, including the department’s permanent secretary, following a request from committee’s chair, Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan.
McGuigan said the committee needed to know what decisions had to be made by any incoming minister.
“We have seven months left of this mandate, we have important decisions that need made and important legislation coming before us,” he said.
“So we need to be assured that internal wranglings within the UUP aren’t going to impact patient safety, patient care across the north and the work that our staff are doing to provide excellent care for our citizens.”
Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said if the UUP decided not to nominate a health minister, his party – as the next entitled to nominate under the current rules – would do so.
Robinson said Nesbitt’s resignation was a “setback” for the “confidence that people have” in the health service.
Robinson called on Burrows to nominate a replacement “as quickly as possible”, adding: “I don’t think it is helpful or fruitful for there to be this hiatus within health.”
Last week Burrows, who is a North Antrim MLA, told a town hall meeting that he did not support emergency general surgery (EGS) being moved from Causeway Hospital.
The Northern Health Trust previously recommended that EGS should only be provided at one of its hospital sites. The service would move to Antrim.
It is understood the Department of Health (DoH) was still waiting for a final recommendation to come to the minister.
Nesbitt was unable to attend last week’s meeting due to a constituency election meeting in Strangford and Burrows attended in his place, where he voiced opposition to the closure of the EGS service.
Last week he said he did not agree with that and would “never agree with it”.
“Emergency surgery must remain at the Causeway Hospital and it should be built up, not run down and that is my position and it’s not for negotiation.”
However, he stopped short of saying whether or not he would direct Nesbitt not to sign off on the move.
Fergal Tracey is a retired consultant but still works in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
Speaking to BBC News NI following a committee meeting of the SOS Causeway Hospital campaign group on Wednesday evening, he said moving EGS from Causeway Hospital would have “catastrophic effects” both on patients and the future viability of the hospital.
“I live here, I know what’s going to happen to me, my family, my neighbours.
“It’s going to be catastrophic for them in terms of acute healthcare in the medium and longer term.”
Retired theatre sister Irene McLaughlin said she didn’t see any benefit in moving the EGS service to Antrim.
She said she thought Burrows understood “the passion of the people in this area and the dangers of taking [services] away”.
“I think it only makes sense that [EGS] should be retained at Causeway,” she added.
She said she wanted what was best for the patients in the area.
“I’ve always been for my patients and I still am for the people in this area to get the best they can.”
Health bodies back Nesbitt following resignation
Mike Nesbitt resigns as health minister amid row with UUP leader
‘I’ll announce a new health minister on Thursday,’ says Burrows, after Nesbitt row