Joint Communiqué - Health and Food Safety Sectoral Formats

Wednesday, 28 May 2008

The seventh North South Ministerial Council meeting in the Health and Food Safety sectoral formats was held in Belfast on Wednesday 28 May 2008.
The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by Michael McGimpsey MLA, Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Irish Government was represented by Mary Harney, TD, Minister for Health and Children and Mary Wallace Minister of State with special responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety. Minister McGimpsey chaired the meeting.

Health
Progress Report

3.Ministers welcomed the progress made since the last meeting in November 2007 on a range of issues including, the initial findings of the pilot studies into cross-border co-operation on GP out of hours provision, the continuing work on paediatric and congenital cardiac services, the recent second major cross border emergency planning exercise, the formal cross-border arrangement whereby Fire and Rescue appliances now respond jointly to incidents on the new road link between Newry and Dundalk, developments regarding the location of a satellite radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin Hospital and the range of developments on Cancer Research.
4.Following on from the reorganisation and reform programmes for health and social services in both jurisdictions, Ministers also noted and welcomed the update on the joint Feasibility Study which will consider options and opportunities for greater co-operation in the sphere of health and social care and look forward to examining the report in detail when complete.

Ministers received a presentation from Dr Jane Wilde, Chief Executive of the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Ireland and congratulated the Institute on its achievements over the past decade, which complement and inform public health in both jurisdictions and also noted that, in the coming years, the IPH plans to focus on research to develop agreed and accurate estimates and forecasts for common chronic conditions, a review of policy and practice approaches to young men and alcohol and health inequalities.
The Council welcomed the broad range of co-operation on health promotion currently underway across key areas including men’s health, physical activity/nutrition, research, health promoting hospitals, training, smoking, breast feeding and workplace health promotion; and requested officials to bring forward to a future NSMC meeting a planned programme of mutually beneficial joint activities to promote public health and to tackle health inequalities, with input as appropriate from other health promotion/public health organisations.

7.Ministers welcomed the broad range of co-operation on suicide prevention and endorsed proposals for planned future co-operation in areas such as;
the all-island evaluation of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, the development of performance indicators relating to the All-Island Action Plan, the production of an annual report on the all-island Plan to be tabled at NSMC on an annual basis and the development of phase 3 of the All-Island Promoting Mental Health Public Awareness Campaign.

Ministers noted and welcomed the establishment of a co-ordinating group led by senior officials in the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Health and Children and the development of a work programme to intensify co-operation on Child Protection in accordance with the NSMC Plenary decision of 7 February 2008.
Ministers welcomed plans to develop a cross-border awareness raising campaign in conjunction with non-governmental organisations to consider the increasing problems associated with the internet and social networking; production of generic cross-border information using a variety of media dealing with such issues as the reporting of abuse; safe parenting; and good employment practice recognising the two separate legislative and structural arrangements. The Council also welcomed the ongoing co-operation on cross border monitoring and management of sex offenders.
Ministers discussed the legislative measures being taken forward to improve safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and agreed to keep each other advised of developments and, where possible, to explore opportunities for achieving a consistency in approach.

Ministers welcomed the appointment of the new Advisory Board for the Food Safety Promotion Board, (safefood), including the Chair Mr John Dardis and then received a Progress Report presented by Mr Dardis and the CEO, Martin Higgins, on the activities of safefood,including the appointment of Dr Jon Bell, former Chief Executive of the UK Food Standards Agency, and Prof. Henrik Wegener an independent technical expert with an international reputation in enteric reference laboratory services, both of whom will facilitate and provide technical and expert advice on safefood’s proposals on a enteric reference laboratory;
Ministers also noted the ongoing scientific and promotional activities of safefood, including, preliminary discussions with the Food Standards Agency in London regarding sharing of scientific information, the launch of new researchprojects including infectious intestinal disease in the community and completion of the gastroenteritis research project, the extension of the allergy awareness programme, the food hygiene awareness campaign, the ongoing partnership work with other bodies and agencies, highlighted in particular by the award of ‘best in show’ stand at this year’s Balmoral Show, and noted that a further report of these activities will be presented to the next meeting of the NSMC in the Health and Food Safety Sectoral Format.

Ministers welcomed the establishment of the all-island obesity action forum for a three year period, noted the development of a range of communications initiatives in selected settings including the workplace and educational settings, and noted work to build a new evidence base from a range of sources including academia, research in action and surveillance.

The Council agreed to hold its next meeting in the Health and Food Safety sectoral formats in October/November 2008.

28 May 2008