Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey has launched a new booklet providing key information about health services, which is available in English and in thirteen other languages.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister highlighted the contribution that migrant workers are making to Northern Ireland’s economy and to public services by meeting skills and labour shortages.
He said: “The health service is there for everyone and equality of access is a fundamental principle for our services. To make that a reality we need to make sure that people who have come to live here from other parts of Europe, and from further afield, know about their rights and entitlements. They need to know how to access the services they need.
“To someone new to the United Kingdom, it is not always self-evident that the term ‘GP’ means a family doctor and that the GP is the main point of access to health care.”
The Minister commended the health and social care bodies on their efforts to date to make health services more accessible to minority ethnic communities and migrant workers.
The Minister continued “This booklet is the latest in a series of initiatives, and is both practical and symbolic. As a practical measure it seeks to bridge an information gap, and it cuts through the language barriers.
“The booklet is also a welcoming handshake. Writing and translating it into 13 languages is a message to our minority ethnic and migrant communities: the message is that you are a valued part of this community.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The booklet “Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland” has been produced by a working group within the Health and Social Care family - the Accessible Formats Working Group. Its purpose is to improve people’s awareness of existing services as well as their rights and entitlements and improve their access to health and social care, particularly those who are new to Northern Ireland and those who do not have English as a first or competent second language.
- The booklet and its translated versions are available from 28 June 2007 at http://www.centralservicesagency.n-i.nhs.uk/display/healthandsocialcareni
For further information contact Tommy Spence, DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0505, or Anne Basten, Equality Manager, Central Services Agency on 028 9053 5626, or email bastena@csa.n-i.nhs.uk
