Key Summary
- The plan commits to establishing a neighbourhood-centred system of health and social care, bringing more services closer to communities
- It seeks to address the £600M deficit in the Health and Social Care budget, while continuing the task of stabilisation and reform
Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) has expressed support for health minister Mike Nesbitt's plan to reset health and social care.
The document commits to establishing a neighbourhood-centred system of health and social care, bringing more services closer to communities.
The plan seeks to address the £600M deficit in the Health and Social Care (HSC) budget, while continuing the task of stabilisation and reform.
HSC leaders believe that this plan, which will result in a significant reset for the future, offers a challenging but workable approach.
NICON welcomed the government's focus on working more closely with the public, capitalising on digital investment and driving income generation through innovation and research. NICON spokesperson, Professor Mark Taylor, said, “There are no overnight fixes, especially in the face of ever-growing demand, but this plan sets out a credible and pragmatic, if challenging, way forward.”
“A crucial element to supporting delivery of this ambitious plan will be building a one-system approach," he said.
Taylor said HSC leaders have been working to create stronger mechanisms for the system to work.
"Key priorities will include accessing system efficiencies, reducing unwarranted clinical variation, and embedding these new ways of working to deliver a more collaborative culture," he added.
