Improving and Safeguarding Social Wellbeing

(A Strategy for Social Work in Northern Ireland 2012-2022)

Improving Dementia Services in Northern Ireland - A Regional Strategy - November 2011

Improving Dementia Services in Northern Ireland - A Regional Strategy - November 2011

Improving services for general paediatric surgery (PDF 97KB)

Policy and Standards of Care for Paediatric ENT Surgery in Northern Ireland

Improving services for paediatric ENT Surgery (PDF 95KB)

Policy and Standards of Care for Paediatric ENT Surgery in Northern Ireland

Improving the Patient and Client Experience (PDF 3.92 MB)

New set of standards aimed at improving patient care

Improving Stroke Services in Northern Ireland (PDF 194 KB)

Stroke can strike anyone, any age, anytime. Today in Northern Ireland around 4000 people each year have their lives and the lives of their families dramatically changed by stroke. A significant number of these could be avoided by simple lifestyle changes. More exercise, less alcohol and more attention to diet can make a major difference. Cutting down or cutting out smoking will make the most significant lifestyle contribution to a reduction in stroke and the enormous personal impact that it brings. åÊThese recommendations seek to make improvements in the key areas of prevention; treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients in a modern health service setting. The accompanying standards outline the levels to which we must aspire, in the delivery of these services. åÊ

Improving Patients' Access to Medicines: A Guide to Implementing Nurse and Pharmacist Independent Prescribing within the HPSS in Northern Ireland (PDF 704 KB)

A Guide to Implementing Nurse and Pharmacist Independent Prescribing within the HPSS in Northern Ireland

Improving Patient Safety - Building Public Confidence (PDF 440 KB)

A response by the Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety to the recommendations contained in the Shipman Inquiry Reports 3, 4 & 5.

Tackling Equality and Targeting Social Need - Improving the Infrastucture (PDF 101 KB)

This paper considers two recent initiatives in Northern Ireland relating to targeting social need and inequalities. While the paper deals with each separately they should be seen as complementary. Therefore, many of the points made in relation to one are also pertinent to the other. åÊ

Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care Settings in Ireland

The quality of life of older people in all care settings is a primary concern of the National Council on Ageing and Older People (NCAOP); a concern echoed by the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) in its recent report Care for Older Peoplein which it stated that â?~enhancing quality of life of older people in different settings should be a key policy priorityâ?T (NESF, 2005). Read the Report (PDF, 3.25mb) Read the Report on Conference Proceedings (PDF. 484kb)

Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma (update)

The management of low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community.In February 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published service guidance on skin cancer, ‘Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma’ (NICE guidance on cancer services). Many of the recommendations in this guidance were converted into peer review measures published in the ‘Manual for cancer services 2008: skin measures..

Improving care for people with long term conditions: 'at a glance' information sheets for healthcare professionals

The Department has produced a series of information sheets for doctors,nurses, those delivering personal health budgets, allied health professionals, health trainers and anyone supporting individuals with long term conditions. The information sheets cover a range of topics including care planning, care co-ordination, managing need and assessment of risk, motivating people to self care, goal setting and action planning and end of life care.Download information sheet 1: Personalised care planning (PDF, 2514K)Download information sheet 2: Personalised care planning diagram (PDF, 2213K)Download information sheet 3: Care co-ordination (PDF, 1967K.

PHA - improving cardiovascular services

?The Public Health Agency has identified ways of delivering cardiovascular services that will help to tackle health inequalities. These are described in a new "health impact assessment" report, launched on 1 June at the Maureen Sheehan Centre, Belfast.The PHA, in partnership with a wide variety of community, voluntary and statutory bodies, leads the work to improve cardiovascular health and wellbeing, through better prevention and treatment services, delivered through a 'cardiovascular service framework'. The result of a wide consultation, this new report will help to improve the way those services are delivered by focusing on the needs of disadvantaged people.Explaining the importance of this work, Dr Adrian Mairs, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, PHA, said: "The Public Health Agency was set up to tackle health inequalities and promote better health and wellbeing across Northern Ireland. Despite many improvements in prevention and treatment, cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of death in Northern Ireland. We know that these diseases, including heart disease, stroke, circulation problems, diabetes and renal disease have a greater and more severe impact on people living in poverty. "This work will help us to reduce the health inequalities that exist in our society by improving the way cardiovascular services are developed and delivered, eg ensuring stop smoking services meet local needs, identifying and treating high blood pressure, and helping people to take their medicines properly."The health impact assessment has been developed from other work, including a literature review, cardiovascular health and wellbeing profile, and full technical report. All of these resources are available on the PHA website, under 'Directorates', 'Service Development and Screening'. The work will also be used to help the development of service frameworks covering other disease areas. Putting a health inequalities focus on Northern Ireland cardiovascular service framework - Summary report: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/putting-health-inequalities-focu... health and wellbeing profile for Northern Ireland: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/cardiovascular-health-and-wellbe... health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland - Literature review: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/cardiovascular-health-and-wellbe... focus (newsletter): www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/hia-focus

Traveller Focus Week - improving health and wellbeing

Members of the Traveller community and their support organisations joined the Public Health Agency and the Health and Social Care Board at an event in Dungannon to mark Traveller Focus Week (5 - 11 December) by sharing the progress made, and celebrating good practice in meeting the health and wellbeing needs of Travellers.These needs were identified in the 'All Ireland Traveller Health Study' by University College Dublin in June 2010. It estimated that there are 3,905 Travellers living in 1,562 families in Northern Ireland, and the stark findings include that when compared with the life expectancy of the general population, male Travellers lose 15 years of life and females lose 11 years.The report made a number of recommendations, including:prioritising mother and children's health; enhanced preventative work for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as better risk detection and management of the disease; development of primary care interventions which involve Travellers engaging with other Travellers in health improvement;engagement of men and young men in improving health and wellbeing and access to healthcare.Speaking at the event, Mary Black, Assistant Director of Public Health (Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement) PHA, said: "The Public Health Agency works in partnership to promote health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities."This event with the Travellers Health and Wellbeing Forum was an important opportunity to look at progress against agreed priorities and share good practice across Northen Ireland and the successful work of the Forum. One such example is the recruitment of Travellers into employment as health workers developed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and part-funded by the PHA. Other areas are also considering work placements and all of this developing practice will help inform future partnerships with employers and help break down the real prejudice that can be experienced by Travellers."We also heard about the progress Travellers have made in their own right, and their views about how the Travelling community is fully engaged and participates in the future development of the Forum and programmes that aim to improve health and wellbeing and contribute to a more equal society."Mark Donahue, Equality Officer, An Munia Tober (a Traveller support organisation), added "The event was a great success in terms of highlighting the main health issues for Travellers, which came out of the All Ireland Traveller Health Study. I was heartened to see a great turn out by the Traveller community from all over Northern Ireland and also by the interest and commitment of so many public agencies and other organisations to work together to improve Traveller health."The event, at 'Breakthru' in Dungannon, also brought together representatives from the five health and social care trusts, Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT), Housing and key voluntary sector organisations, all involved in delivering the recommendations from the 'All Ireland Traveller Health Study'.