Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Health and Social Care

Agency overview
Formed	1948
Jurisdiction	Northern Ireland
Agency executives	Valerie Watts, chief executive Health and Social Care Board, governing body
Parent department	Department of Health

Health and Social Care (HSC) is the system that provides free healthcare and social care services in Northern Ireland. It's a bit like the National Health Service (NHS) in other parts of the United Kingdom, and it's considered part of the bigger UK health service.

The government in Northern Ireland, through its Department of Health, makes sure HSC has enough money. The Public Health Agency helps to manage and deliver these important services across Northern Ireland. If you live in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK, you don't have to pay to use these services.

For example, if you need to go to an A&E (Accident and Emergency) for urgent care, you just walk in. You give your name and date of birth, get the help you need, and then you can leave. You don't see a bill for the costs. HSC is special because it offers both health care and social care, unlike the NHS in England and Wales which mainly focuses on health. The Health and Social Care service started in 1948.

How Health and Social Care Works

HSC helps people by providing many services, from seeing a doctor to getting help at home. It's designed to look after everyone's health and well-being.

Organizing Health and Social Care

From 1948 to 1974, hospitals in Northern Ireland were managed by special groups. Then, in 1974, they were moved under four health and social services boards, which also took on social care.

In 2009, new laws changed how health and social care were delivered. This led to fewer organizations being involved. The Health and Social Care Board was set up, along with five Health and Social Care Trusts. These Trusts are in charge of providing most of the health and social care services you might use, like visiting your local doctor, going to hospital, or getting care in your community.

Who Manages the Department of Health?

The Department of Health is managed by a Permanent Secretary. It has different groups and one main agency. These groups help plan, manage resources, and oversee primary, secondary, and community care. The Public Health Agency is the main agency that makes sure all health and social care services are provided and coordinated.

The five main professional groups that advise the department are:

• Medical and Allied Services (doctors and other health professionals)
• Social Services Inspectorate (checking social care quality)
• Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Group (nurses and midwives)
• Dental Services (dentists)
• Pharmaceutical Advice and Services (pharmacists and medicines)

Using Technology in Healthcare

Technology helps HSC provide better care. Since 2013, Northern Ireland has been developing an Electronic Care Record system. This system allows different healthcare providers, like eye doctors (optometrists), to share patient information safely.

In 2022, a big project called "Encompass" started. Its goal is to create a fully connected electronic health and care record system. This means all your health information, whether from hospitals, mental health services, community care, or social services, will be in one place. It's one of only two such systems in Western Europe!

Health and Social Care Trusts

Trusts are like the local managers of health and social care services. They are responsible for staff, managing services, and controlling their own budgets. In 2007, 19 smaller trusts were combined into six larger Health and Social Care Trusts.

The six Trusts that operate today are:

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust
• Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust
• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
• Southern Health and Social Care Trust
• Western Health and Social Care Trust

Your Local Doctor (Primary Care)

There are about 350 GP (General Practitioner) practices across Northern Ireland. These are your local doctors' offices where you usually go first when you're not feeling well.

In 2016, a plan was made to have a specific district nurse, health visitor, and social worker linked to every GP practice. More pharmacists also started working in practices to help patients with their medicines. The number of training places for new GPs also increased.

Improving Local Care

In 2018, a new community hub for primary care was planned in Cookstown. This hub would bring together different services in one place, like scanning facilities, minor surgery, a pharmacy, and out-of-hours consultations. It aims to make it easier for people to get the care they need close to home.

In 2019, funding for GPs increased to help them hire more staff, like advanced nurse practitioners and practice-based pharmacists. This helps GPs manage their workload and provide better care.

Prescription Charges

Northern Ireland used to have charges for prescriptions, but these were gradually removed. By April 2010, Prescription charges were completely phased out. This means that in Northern Ireland, like in Scotland and Wales, you don't have to pay for your prescriptions.

How Well Health and Social Care Performs

Since 1974, health and social care have been part of the same system in Northern Ireland. However, there have been challenges. For example, the system has relied a lot on hospitals, more so than in other parts of the UK. It can be hard to move resources away from hospitals, especially in rural areas. Also, different computer systems and rules about patient privacy can make it tricky to share information.

Sometimes, people have to wait a long time for appointments or operations. The target waiting time for some NHS services in Northern Ireland is 52 weeks, which is longer than in England (18 weeks), and even this target isn't always met.

In 2017, a report showed that even though Northern Ireland spends about the same amount per person on healthcare as the rest of the UK, its performance was often not as good. For example, more patients waited longer than four hours in A&E departments, and a higher percentage of the population was on a waiting list compared to the rest of the UK. Many people waited over a year for their first hospital appointment.

In 2018, hospital performance was still a concern. All five trusts struggled to meet targets for A&E, cancer care, and routine operations. A report in December 2018 stated that the system was "unable to cope with the demands being placed on it." There was a big money shortage, and waiting times were still too long.

Cancer Care Challenges

It's a serious concern that some cancer patients in Northern Ireland get their diagnosis when they go to an emergency department. This often happens because they have waited too long for appointments. Emergency departments are not the best place for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In 2015, only 55% of cancer patients started treatment within the target of 62 days, and this number was getting worse. Patients diagnosed through emergency departments often have lower survival rates.

Recent Waiting Times

In May 2022, waiting times for many services, including outpatient appointments, hospital procedures, and emergency care, reached very high levels. Nearly one in five people in Northern Ireland were on hospital waiting lists. For example, some patients might wait five or six years just to be assessed for a hip replacement, and then another five years for the operation itself.

See also

• Healthcare in the United Kingdom
• Health & Social Care Business Services Organisation
• List of government departments, their agencies and their ministers in Northern Ireland
• List of hospitals in Northern Ireland