Public meeting to look at future of health care

Public meeting to look at future of health care

28 November 2012

LOCAL people are being given an opportunity to have their say on the future of health and social care services in the area.

A public meeting is being held at the Downshire Hospital’s Great Hall next Tuesday, December 4, at 7pm. The event is one of a series of public consultation meetings being held in the South Eastern Trust area.

Major plans to set the direction of health and social care in Northern Ireland were issued for public consultation by Health Minister Edwin Poots at the start of October in the so-called Transforming Your Care document.

Among its key proposals are further enhancing the hospital network between the Ulster, Downe and Lagan Valley hospitals and plans to extend the urgent care model operating at the Downe to the Lagan Valley in Lisburn.

Other proposals include the development of six in-patient acute mental health units for people over 18 and the establishment of integrated care partnerships which will see health and social care professionals working as teams to improve patient care experience locally.

The plans also include enhancing services to enable older people to live independently and at home and closing half of the Province’s publicly-funded residential homes over the next five years.

Ahead of next week’s public meeting in Downpatrick, Dr. Nigel Campbell explained Transforming Your Care summarises the changes proposed to Northern Ireland’s health and social care system.

The chairman of the South Eastern Local Commissioning Group said the proposals focus on reshaping services in order to make best use of all available resources, ensuring services are “safe, resilient and sustainable into the future.”

Dr. Campbell said the public meetings are for the public, patients, ser-vice users, carers and communities to share their views, concerns and hopes for the future delivery of services in the local area.

He continued: “At this point no decisions have been made and this consultation is aimed at everyone. We all either use health and social care services, or are highly likely to do so in future; or indeed people may be involved in providing health and social care services. I would encourage everyone to get involved in the debate.”

Households across the district will receive a leaflet over the coming days with information on how people can get involved and give their views on what’s being described as the biggest change in health and social care delivery in a generation.

To obtain a copy of the consultation document log on at www.tycconsultation.hscni.net, email tycconsultation@hscni.net or telephone (028) 9055 3790.