Proposals for health and social care reform
Published: 13 May 2008
Proposals for health and social care reform
RCN Northern Ireland has now submitted its response to a major DHSSPS consultation on proposed future arrangements for the commissioning, performance management and financial management of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.
Based upon extensive engagement with RCN members across Northern Ireland over the last three months, through seven consultation meetings and the submission of members' views by e-mail and telephone, the response highlights a number of concerns relating to the proposals. These include the view that the establishment of a separate Regional Public Health Agency will not most effectively secure the objective of placing the public agenda at the heart of the health and social care system. RCN Northern Ireland also believes that the proposals place an undue emphasis upon the measurement of financial efficiency rather than enhancing patient and client care.
The response asserts that the proposed Local Commissioning Groups must be allowed to function with autonomy and that their ways of working must account for the fact that it will be nurses, working in partnership with GPs, social workers and allied health professionals, who will undertake the actual commissioning of patient and client services. RCN Northern Ireland also states that nursing, alongside medicine and social work, must be included at an executive level on the proposed new Regional Health and Social Care Board. The retention of the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council [NIPEC] is welcomed and the response argues that its role should be enhanced.
The full consultation response is available on request from john.knape@rcn.org.uk.