The Conference was chaired by Pat McCartan Chair of Belfast HSC Trust and the Northern Ireland Confederation Chair and it opened at 9.30 am with a keynote address from the DHSSPS Permanent Secretary Dr Andrew McCormick.
Northern Ireland Health and Social Care is continuing to evolve and the next few years and will present significant challenges to all those involved in delivering quality services to their patients and clients.
The 2008 Annual Conference “Health and Social Care Northern Ireland - Delivering the Future Today” was an important staging post in this process of change giving delegates the opportunity to consider and challenge a number of key themes related to the future delivery of those services.
The speakers and themes included:
The NHS - Trends in Delivering Services in the UK
Bryan Stoten, NHS Confederation Chair outlined the trends in delivering services in the UK. Each of the devolved regions has determined their own health and social care system- there are differences in outcomes and the direction of travel also seems to be changing. Bryan emphasised the importance of learning from each region and highlighting best practice- not only in the UK but also from Europe - which is something we don’t do enough.
The European Dimension - Challenges & Opportunities
The real and potential impact of the European Union on our services was covered by three speakers.
Delegates heard from Helena Bowden from the NHS Confederation European Union Office in Brussels. The European Unit is based both in London and Brussels and was established in September 2007 in response to growing EU policy and legislative developments which have a substantial impact on the NHS. Perhaps the most pertinent EU issue for 2008/09 that impacts on health and social care organisations is the cross border healthcare directive.
The EU Cross Border Care Directive proposal will clarify the rights of patients to travel to another EU country to receive medical treatment and the responsibilities of health organisations to facilitate and pay for it. The proposal has potentially large impacts on NHS commissioning and providing organisations and will have profound effects on Northern Ireland and providers here particularly with the border with the Republic of Ireland.
Bernie McCrory & Edel O'Doherty from CAWT (Cooperation and Working Together) have direct experience of the challenges and benefits of cross border partnerships to the health of patients and the local population. Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT) is a partnership arrangement which facilitates collaborative working between health and social care organisations and staff on a cross border basis. CAWT provides a forum for management and staff of the Health Service Executive, Health Boards and Trusts to come together on a range of common issues relevant to their service areas via cross border sub groups.
Risk Management - The Corporate Manslaughter Act
Alphy Maginnis, Director of Legal Services, Central services Agency (CSA) provided a comprehensive overview of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, which came into effect on 6 April 2008, outlined the implications of the Act for HSC organisations. The Act makes it easier to prosecute organisations where gross failures in the management of health and safety, leads to a death.
Delivering the future - Focusing on the Right Thing
Nigel Edwards, NHS Confederation Policy Director was the last speaker and as always, delighted delegates with his presentation and set out a number of key challenges facing the service.