Future of Fertility Services in Northern Ireland (From People to Parents)

Future of Fertility Services in Northern Ireland (From People to Parents)

IPH response to the Joint Committee on Health and Children and members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on “Cross-border cooperation on healthcare”

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland were asked to submit a paper on 'Cross-border cooperation on healthcare' for a joint meeting between the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee which took place in Leinster House on 1 March 2012. Key points from the submission included: o    The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is an all-island organisation which promotes cooperation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with the aim of improving population health on the island and tackling health inequalities. IPH work is focused on addressing the causes of ill health rather than the design and delivery of treatment services. o    North/South cooperation on health was mandated under the Belfast Agreement in 1998 in five domains, including health promotion. IPH has supported the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in respect of the health promotion strand since inception. o    The Department of Health and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety North-South Feasibility Study (December 2011) states that mutual benefits are most evident from cooperation in the areas of (i) anticipating trends and illnesses in a collective manner (ii) public health issues (iii) specialised services where the population or activity required to sustain the service cannot be met by either jurisdiction alone and (iv) in relation to those areas adjacent to the border. o    The European Directive on Cross-Border Healthcare will be implemented in the next few years which will have implications in relation to patients travelling for healthcare across the Republic of Ireland/Northern Ireland border. o    IPH is supporting the development of new public health strategies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland which are both due for publication this year. o    There are tangible benefits from cross-border cooperation in the health sector, both in public health and in health service planning and delivery and there are many examples of successful initiatives. However, developments are not occurring in the context of an agreed plan or overall strategic context and tend to be project-based and concentrated in border counties. o    Successful cross-border cooperation requires high level support and integration into departmental policy cycles. The provision of data on an all-island basis supports cross-border cooperation as does the operation of sustainable all-island organisations which can support research, evaluations and programmes. o    In the future, cross-border cooperation in health will be more effective if developed with a strategic planning process intrinsically linked to Departmental priorities. o    North-South cooperation in the areas of alcohol, obesity, tobacco health surveys and rare diseases will be particularly beneficial.

Fit For The Future - Proposals (PDF 66KB)

This Government came to power committed to reforming and modernising the health and personal social services (HPSS) and returning them to their founding principles and core values. The momentous political change which has taken pl ace in Northern Ireland over the last year means that the new Assembly will now be taking up that challenge. This paper is not a blueprint. It signals the direction in which the Government wishes to move, but it will quite properly be for the Assembly to take final decisions on the way forward. There are many difficult issues to be addressed and change cannot happen overnight. That is the challenge which faces the Assembly and the HPSS. I wish them every success in meeting it. åÊ åÊ

Fit For The Future - Responses (PDF 114KB)

The publication of this report fulfils a commitment made by the Department of Health and Social Services to produce a summary of the responses which it received to the Fit for the Future consultation paper, which invited views on the future of the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland. The report has been prepared following a careful examination of all the responses received during the consultation exercise. It attempts to summarise the comments and åÊviews offered on the extensive range of issues which were raised in the consultation paper. Every effort has been made to ensure that this is an objective summary of the responses, without any further interpretation, colouring or qualification by the Department.

Report of the Paediatric Nurse Education Review Group

10.12.2000 The Department of Health and Children is implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing (1998). It agreed with the Nursing Alliance in early 2000 to set up working groups to inform the implementation of specific recommendations in relation to nurse education. One of these working groups was to address paediatric nurse education. In March 2000, a Steering Group to oversee a review of paediatric nurse education was convened and the following terms of reference agreed. To consider the future of paediatric nurse education in the light of the recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Nursing, Labour Court recommendation LCR 16330, and current practice and development in child health services. To make recommendations within the context of current developments in nursing, nurse education and service delivery. Download the Report here

Towards a Standardised Framework for Inter-Country Adoption - Report of the Implementation Group

The report contains Background to the commissioning of the Report â?~â?~Towards a Standardised Framework for Intercountry Adoption Assessment Proceduresâ?Tâ?T; the Government decision arising; and the principal findings and recommendations of the Report (Chapter 1); Detailed information on progress made in relation to the recommendations contained in the Report (Chapters 2-5); Statistical data in relation to intercountry adoption services at June, 2000 (Chapter 6); A summary of key findings of the Implementation Group (Chapter 7); and The Implementation Groupâ?Ts recommendations regarding the future of intercountry adoption services (Chapter 8). Download the Report here

The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a transition to Independent Hospital Trusts

This is the Report on the Establishment of Hospital Groups as a Transition to Independent Hospital Trusts, as approved by Government on 14 May 2013. Click here to download The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a transition to Independent Hospital Trusts PDF 5.59MB Click here to download Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals: A Framework for Development PDF 401KB Click here to download Frequently Asked Questions PDF 1.19MB  

Consumer Focused Review of Men's Food Behaviour

Increasing attention has been paid to the burden of ill-health experienced by men in many Western countries. In Europe and internationally, the Republic of Ireland has been leading the way by developing a national policy for men’s health. In most countries around the world, women now have a longer life expectancy than men. Similarly, on the island of Ireland, in spite of recent increases in men’s life expectancy, men continue to have higher death rates at all ages and from all leading causes of death. In Northern Ireland, in 2010, men’s life expectancy at birth was 77.08 years (81.53 years for women), while in the Republic of Ireland, figures published in 2009 revealed that men’s life expectancy at birth was 76.8 years (compared to 81.6 years for women). Key health issues for men include circulatory diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. In relation to food and health, obesity has been highlighted as a major concern in relation to men’s health. While physiological difference between men and women explain some of the variation in the rate and/or onset of disease (e.g., protective effects of oestrogen in relation to the onset of cardiovascular diseases), other factors, such as socio-cultural influences, which are the main focus of this report, also play an important role. It is acknowledged that men and women experience different influences and motivations with respect to their knowledge and attitudes of and behaviours towards food and health. The purpose of this report is therefore not to compare men with women or to encourage men to model themselves on women in relation to their food and health behaviour. Rather, the goal is to provide recommendations to improve communications, resources, interventions, education and services targeted at boys and men in relation to food.