July 2020
Price: £150 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference focuses on the future of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.
Discussion at a glance:
The conference - prepared initially before the full onset of the coronavirus crisis - will bring out latest thinking on key longstanding issues for healthcare in Northern Ireland, including:
- funding
- the future of the workforce
- urgent and emergency care
- healthcare integration
- quality of healthcare and social services.
However we expect a key focus for discussion on the day to be the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the long term future of health and social care in Northern Ireland:
- service recovery - the scaling up of services to previous capacity and support that will be needed for local trusts during the process and into the future
- what can be learned - best practice and innovation that can be taken forward from experience of the unprecedented challenges that have been faced
- improving safety within communities - priorities for test and trace and other measures, with Northern Ireland producing an independent tracing application
- support - what more may be required going forward for health services and their workforces, their partner organisations, and the populations that they serve
- It comes with the Department of Health publishing its strategic framework for Rebuilding Health and Social Care Services, which sets out priorities following the impact of COVID-19, alongside the release of the proximity app - StopCOVID NI - to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The wider discussion:
- finance - levels of available funding for the health and social care system, ensuring value for money, and assessing the priorities for investment
- the workforce - addressing concerns, and improving recruitment and retention
- urgent and emergency care - the review by the Department for Health, and next steps for development of a waiting times action plan
- next steps - implementation of the Bengoa report’s recommendations for greater healthcare integration - introduction of Accountable Care Systems and an increased role for community care:
- technology and eHealth - its future role, and how it can help modernise the health system and supporting new models of care
- primary care - enhancing the support for GPs through the continued development of multidisciplinary teams, and integrating with social and acute services
- community health services - building capacity for a bigger role in health and social care and reducing inequalities, and promoting effective collaboration between different public, private, and third sector bodies
- regulation and standards - delivering high quality health and social care services, and priorities for regulation in raising standards and supporting reform
Developments that are relevant to the discussion:
- political leadership - re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and commitment to tackle health issues laid out in the New Decade, New Approach document and the COVID-19 pandemic
- waiting times - with Northern Ireland’s hospitals having the highest level in the UK prior to the pandemic
- staff recruitment and retention - with around 7,000 vacancies in health and social care boards across Northern Ireland prior to the pandemic
- financial performance and value for money - with remarks by the Minister - Health budget for 2020/21 will be crucial - Swann - on funding pressures faced by the sector affecting health and social care service delivery
- mental health - with:
- recent publication of the Mental Health Action Plan for NI which commits to producing a mental health strategy
- the announcement that the Department of Health will begin the process of appointing a Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland
- key policy reports - progress and next steps for implementation of:
- Systems, Not Structures - Changing Health and Social Care, chaired by Professor Rafael Bengoa
- Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together - the 10-year strategy for reforming Health and Social Care (HSC) services in N Ireland
- Power to People: proposals to reboot adult care and support in NI
The agenda:
- Transforming health and social care services in NI - key policy priorities
- Tackling immediate issues in Health and Social Care in the context of COVID-19 - service delivery and workforce priorities:
- The state of health and social care - key challenges and opportunities
- Reducing waiting times and delivering better outcomes
- Priorities for recruitment and retention
- Delivering value for money in health and social care services
- Large scale change at the policy level - learning from others
- eHealth post 2020 and following the pandemic - expanding and investing in infrastructure and maximising innovative technologies in the delivery of health and social care
- Priorities for developing the healthcare system to better support mental health needs
- Driving towards new models of care - accountable care systems, integration and community care
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved from The Northern Ireland Assembly and a range of officials from the Department of Health; the Department of Finance; the Office of Social Services; and the Department of Health and Social Care..
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
