Health and Social Care Board facts for kids
The Health and Social Care Board is a group that helps make sure people in Northern Ireland get the health services they need. Think of them as the planners and organisers for healthcare. They work to make sure hospitals, doctors, and other health services are available for everyone. The person in charge of the Board right now is Ms. Valerie Watts.
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How the Board Started
Before 2009, healthcare in Northern Ireland was managed by many different groups. There were four main health boards and many smaller groups called "trusts" that looked after hospitals or community services.
In 2009, a new law was made called the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act. This law changed how healthcare was organised. It created the Health and Social Care Board. It also set up five new groups called Health and Social Care Trusts. These Trusts are the ones who actually provide the healthcare, like running hospitals and local clinics.
What the Board Does
The main job of the Health and Social Care Board is to plan and pay for health services across Northern Ireland. This is called "commissioning." They work with another group called the Public Health Agency. Together, they decide what health services are needed and how to make them better for everyone.
The Board also makes sure there are enough local doctors (called general practitioners), dentists, opticians, and pharmacists in communities. These are important services that people use every day.
The Board reports to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. This department is part of the government. The Minister of Health, Robin Swann, is the politician currently in charge of this area.
Looking to the Future of Care
In 2011, a big review of health and social care was done. It was called "Transforming Your Care." This review looked at how healthcare could be improved. The Health and Social Care Board was given the job of making many of the suggested changes happen. They are responsible for putting 72 of the 99 ideas from the report into action.
Changes to the Board?
Sometimes, governments think about changing how things are organised. In 2016, the Health Minister at the time, Simon Hamilton, suggested that the Health and Social Care Board might be closed down. He thought its planning jobs could be moved directly to the Department of Health.
However, many politicians and health experts disagreed with this idea. Because of this, the Board is still working today. No new plans have been made to close it.
