Northern Irish health boards merged into one

7 Feb 08
A single Regional Health and Social Care Board is to be established in Northern Ireland, replacing four existing boards, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced.

08 February 2008

A single Regional Health and Social Care Board is to be established in Northern Ireland, replacing four existing boards, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced.

The new board will have 400 staff and a limited executive function, leaving the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety with a greater strategic role than previously envisaged by direct rule ministers.

Earlier plans under the Review of Public Administration would have created a Regional Health and Social Care Authority with 2,000 staff.

The latest proposals will produce five local commissioning groups to oversee the planning and resourcing of services, membership of which will include representatives of local government.

McGimpsey said: 'The previous proposals included the establishment of a huge health authority with nearly 2,000 staff. It did not provide for clear accountability or exploit the many opportunities for active partnership with local government and other key stakeholders.'

The new structure is intended to be in place by April next year.

Northern Ireland's main public service union, Nipsa, expressed concern at the potential 1,700 job cuts.

General secretary John Corey called for the establishment of 'processes for full and proper negotiations' and a pledge of no compulsory redundancies. He added that the previous merger of 17 health and social services trusts into five new trusts had created 'major problems'.

A decision on local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland was to have been made by the Executive at the end of January, but has been postponed.

PFfeb2008

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