A new three-year plan for health and social care in Northern Ireland has been published by Stormont health minister Mike Nesbitt.
Addressing the Assembly on Tuesday, the UUP minister told MLAs that among the issues he was committed to is securing a “good deal” on staff pay for 2024/25.
Under the new plan, he also said health and social care trusts will be challenged to deliver 46,000 additional outpatient assessments and 11,000 additional treatments annually by 2027.
Mr Nesbitt said his three-year plan was focused on stabilisation, reform and delivery of the north’s health and social care system.
It sets out a series of initiatives to “improve healthy living, primary care, hospital care, social care, productivity and patient safety, while tackling health inequalities”.
These include bringing forward an obesity strategic framework for Northern Ireland, implementing the north’s provisions in the UK government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill and also bringing forward proposals for minimum unit pricing for alcohol.
Other initiatives include a new lung screening programme and an expanded bowel screening programme as well as reforming neurology, stroke and pathology services.
Mr Nesbitt said: “Since taking office, I have underlined the need to build hope for all those who deliver, use and rely on health and social care services.
“I believe this three-year plan will make a significant contribution by indicating my direction of travel to secure better outcomes for staff, patients, service users and the population at large.
“I am acutely aware of the intense pressures on staff and the serious shortfalls in provision across the system.
“Stabilisation was the only viable option for this year, given the budget and other resource and workforce restraints.
“The purpose of this plan, however, is not about what we cannot achieve - it is about improving the health and wellbeing of our population and making our health and social care services the best they can be. It is about hope and ambition.
“Of course, the pace of progress will be heavily influenced by future budget settlements and successful partnership working across the Executive.
“I believe that if we all work together, we can meaningfully improve population health, support people to live healthy lives and provide the conditions for services to thrive.”
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