A health trust has rejected claims by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson that life-saving heart surgery was delayed because of Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sir Jeffrey said patients in a Belfast hospital had to wait three weeks for surgery because the Irish Sea trade deal meant equipment had to be sourced from outside the UK.
He made the claim on BBC's Good Morning Ulster after being challenged about pressures in the health service during the absence of a Stormont Executive.
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The Lagan Valley MP said: "The truth is that the protocol is harming our ability to access medicines and equipment.
"That meant that for three weeks in a cardiac unit in one of our large acute hospitals in Belfast, people who were waiting on life-saving heart surgery had to wait three weeks because the equipment had to be sourced from another country because we couldn't get it from our own country because of the protocol.
"Now those problems are real and they need to be dealt with."
In response, a Belfast Trust spokesman told BBC Newsline: "There is no substance to Sir Jeffrey's claim.
"There have been no delays, the trust has not had to outsource supplies of equipment and business in running normally."
Belfast Live has approached the DUP for any further comment.
The DUP has been blocking the restoration of Stormont power-sharing in protest against the protocol, which has created new trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
It has said it will not resume power-sharing until decisive action is taken to address unionist concerns over the post-Brexit arrangements.
The UK Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation.
The government is expected to call a fresh Assembly election on Friday after a new Executive was not established within a six-month legislative timeframe.
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