Building a health and social care system that is fit for the future

That was the key message Health Minister Edwin Poots delivered when he met representatives of the Chairs’ forum this evening in Belfast.

The Minister said: “I welcome this opportunity to share with the Chairs some of the important work which I am taking forward in the health and social care sector.

“One crucial element of this is the work on Transforming Your Care (TYC) which aims to improve health and social care services for all population. The vision of TYC is to improve quality of care, ensure better outcomes for patients and clients and enhance the experience of health and social care for all our service users.

“Within the next month, a consultation will be launched to give everyone in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved and tell us what they think of the proposed way forward for health and social care.

The Minister continued: “TYC is, of course, part of a wider picture. On 19th July 2012, I published the draft Strategic Framework for Public Health “Fit and Well – Changing Lives 2012 -2022”. This framework has the potential to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of the lives of our communities. It is a vital component in the shift of service provision closer to people’s home which is outlined in TYC.

“I will soon be launching a six month consultation on the future of adult social care. This consultation will provide an opportunity for people who use services, and their carers, to be fully involved in the development of future adult care and support services.

“As well as these major overarching changes, I have been able to share with the Chairs some of the exciting work which is going on at a specialised level within the Health and Social Care (HSC). Earlier today, I was delighted to speak at the launch of the Northern Ireland Connected Health Ecosystem. This was an opportunity to bring together representatives from the HSC, industry and academia to consider opportunities for joint working in connected health to improve health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland.

“I welcome the setting which the evening has presented to share with the Chairs some of the key issues in health and social care currently and the important work which I am taking forward to ensure that we build a HSC system is fit for the future.”