Public Health in Northern Ireland

- Dr. Paul Darragh

Public Health in Northern Ireland

Fully integrated Health, Social Services and Primary Care Equivalent services to rest of UK N.H.S Funding via Barnett formula - Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland – own

administration Share land boundary with ROI – cross border issues. Population 1.7m, significant legacy of deprivation, “troubles” Overall Health and Social Care budget approx £4.5b Demography overall aging population Endeavour to be as self-sufficient as possible in Regional

Specialities Tied into N.I.C.E

Our Political Structures Government - Assembly – All 5 Political Parties have Ministers Department of Health and Social Services DHSS Own minister Assembly Health Committee Public Health Agency – sponsor C.M.O in D.H.S.S Warm, supportive, co-operative relationship Local Authorities Involvement Investing for Health / New Public Health Strategy / Joint Action /

Shaping wider health policy

Public Health Agency Director of Public Health, Chief Executive and Director of Nursing

(160 Staff) Cover all 3 domains of Public Health and R&D Health Protection – HPU and Regional Epidemiology

and Policy (9 consultants) Health Improvement – (65 staff) Service Development and Screening and Commissioning (19

consultants) R&D for Health and Social Care in N.I and National projects

Processing/Monitoring/Funding

Health Protection Health Protection unit

- ID: Environmental Health and Emergency Planning Regional Epidemiology

- ID: Intelligence Gathering : Interpretation Policy on HCAI Control : Monitoring / Policing / Hospitals / Community Prevention Imm. and Vacc. Working well - Resilience / Sustainability / Cross-Cover

- Health protection staff 99%

- H5N1; C.Diff; MRSA etc

- Pseudomonas – all neonatal units at the same time Severe weather incidents Could do better: - Staff still to often Firefighting

- Need to improve epidemiology to get ahead of events

Influenza Vaccine UptakeOver 65 yrs & (<65yr at risk groups)

Health Improvement

4 Building Blocks as per Marmot

Give every child and young person the best start in life

Work with others to ensure a decent standard of living

Build sustainable communities

Make healthy choices easier

Adult Smoking By Gender NI from1983

05

1015202530354045

malesfemales

Adult = 16+

Good At

Early Years: New Parent Programme Family Nurse Partnership Roots of Empathy Infant Metal Health Training Sure Start

Primary Care Management of: BP; Diabetes; Cholesterol; Cardiovascular Disease ; Stroke

Need Help With

Suicide and Mental Health

Obesity

Inequalities

Service Development and Screening

Going Well:

Commissioning – Local Commissioning (5 LCG’s) and Specialist Commissioning

Screening – Progress on all national screening initiatives adult/children

- Robust Q.A. in place to support screening

Host SpR Training Scheme – Centre of Excellence University and in service training

Service Development and Screening

Need Support:

Large Scale Reviews

- Pathology

- Imaging

Regional/ Supra-Regional Service development

 

Maintaining Connections with rest of G.B

 

R&D Unit

Support Local Research Community

Input to National Awarding Bodies

Ensuring Public Health Influence on Research Agenda

Questions ?