The Health and Social Care Reform Bill completes its Assembly process

The Assembly has today given its final approval to important health and social care reforms introduced by Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey.

The Health and Social Care (Reform) Bill outlines a new streamlined structure for health and social care, including the establishment of innovative organisations, such as the Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-being, to drive forward the public health agenda and tackle health inequalities.

Welcoming the completion of the Assembly process, the minister said: “This is an extensive piece of legislation and clearly demonstrates that health is leading the way on reform and modernisation in the public sector. When I took up office, I made the decision to abandon Direct Rule proposals for future reform and develop structures that would better meet the needs of our local population. I am delighted that I have been able to deliver this local solution for local people.”

“As our population grows our service will continue to face the ever-increasing demands and expectations of a changing population who rightly expect services to be responsive, safe, effective and efficient. I believe this Health and Social Care (Reform) Bill will equip our highly professional and dedicated staff with the infrastructure they need to tackle the challenges ahead.

“The service will be more efficient – freeing up valuable resources that can be re-invested back into frontline services. It will continue to drive up performance for the benefit of all patients and clients. It will be more effective at working in the heart of local communities to be responsive to their needs, to deliver real and sustained improvements in their health and well-being and to reduce health inequalities.”

The legislation will now go for Royal Assent and means that the establishment of the new organisations remain on schedule for establishment on 1 April 2009.

Whilst the legislation has been completing its Assembly process, much work has been ongoing in establishing the new health and social care structures.

Outlining the progress to date, the minister continued: “I have appointed Chairs and Chief Executives who will now have a key role to play in the further establishment of the news organisations. Executive and Non-Executive Director posts have also been advertised and we continue to make excellent progress in what has been a tight timescale.

“Health and social care is leading the way on reform and the past few years have been unsettling for all health and social care staff. I fully appreciate we still have some way to go but the Assembly’s final approval of this Bill provides us all with a level of certainty of how the service will shape up in the future.”

Thanking the Assembly for their co-operation, the minister concluded: “I am very pleased with the level of consensus this Bill has enjoyed in the Health Committee and in the Assembly. I want to thank my colleagues for their informed and constructive input. The success of this legislation is further evidence that local democracy is working well, demonstrating our shared aim of improving the health and well-being of every man, woman and child in Northern Ireland.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The full list of reforms are as follows:-

• a single Regional Health and Social Care Board to replace the existing four Health and Social Services Boards that will focus on commissioning, resource management and performance management and improvement;
• a Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-being that will incorporate and build on the work of the Health Promotion Agency but will have much wider responsibility for health protection, health improvement and development to address existing health inequalities and public health issues for all the people of Northern Ireland;
• a Regional Business Services Organisation to provide a range of support functions for the whole of health and social care system. The Central Services Agency will be dissolved and the majority of its services will be undertaken by the new organisation;
• a single Patient and Client Council to replace the current Health and Social Services Councils with five local offices operating in the same geographical areas as the existing Trusts, to provide a strong voice for patients, clients and carers;
• a much smaller and more focused Department;
• the NI Regional Medical Physics Agency will be merged with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; and
• the functions of the Mental Health Commission will transfer to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.

2. The completion of the Second Reading Stage in the Assembly on 1 July 2008 meant that the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety could begin the recruitment process to the new organisations.

3. Subordinate legislation providing some further detail in relation to the structures and operations of the new organisations will be brought before the Assembly in the near future.

4. Press enquiries to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 90520575. Outside office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.