The Assembly has passed a motion expressing grave concern at the conduct of reforms of primary healthcare.
The structure of primary healthcare provision in the North is due to move from a focus on fundholding GPs to primary care groups made up of various healthcare professionals such as midwives as well as doctors.
The new structures are due to take effect in April but a number of professional bodies have complained they have not been given adequate guidance about them.
Proposing the motion Dr Joe Hendron, chairman of the Assembly's health committee, said "there is total commitment and goodwill from all the professionals in primary care; the problem lies with the department which seems to have wasted almost a year".
The Minister, Ms Bairbre de Brún defended her department's handling of the changes and said the diversion of additional funding into the new structures next year would help ensure their success. She said the structure of the groups in the North would be more inclusive than those in England and Scotland. "I believe that local health and social care groups represent the best option for primary care to assume a central position with health and social services," she said.
Later, the Minister of Education was accused of bias by a DUP member after he launched a video as part of consultations on the review of the selection process.Mr Sammy Wilson said the bulk of the video produced by Mr Martin McGuinness's department favour- ed the proposals for change.
During questions to the Minister he asked: "Could the Minister tell us how his consultation video is intended to inform the debate on the issue of post-primary education when 80 per cent of that video is directed towards the promotion of one point of view, namely his party political point of view and the view of the Burns proposal?"
Mr McGuinness said there were "a wide range of views represented" on the video and that he considered the materials to be "appropriate for their purpose".