Department of Health announce further dates for public meetings

Health Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA has announced a series of further public meetings in January 2017 on the proposed criteria to be used to reconfigure, change and improve our health service.

On 11 November 2016, the Minister launched a consultation on the criteria for reconfiguring our health and social care services. The consultation will run until Friday 20 January 2017. 

Alongside this, a series of 13 public meetings have been scheduled across the north between 8 December 2016 and 18 January 2017 in a number of locations. Four meetings have been arranged for December 2016 and will be facilitated in Omagh, Derry, Ballycastle and Portadown. The remaining nine meetings will take place in January 2017 in Cookstown, Lisburn, North Belfast, Central Belfast, Coleraine, Downpatrick, Newry, Enniskillen and Ballymena.

The Minister is fulfilling her commitment outlined in ‘Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together’ to carry out a consultation process on the criteria set out in the Expert Panel report.

Speaking about the consultation meetings, Minister O’Neill said: “We are embarking on a time of major change in Health and Social Care (HSC) in the north and I want to ensure that this is carefully thought through and planned with the input of as many of those who use and deliver HSC services as possible. 

“I want to hear what you have to say. Your views matter and I can assure you that they will be given full consideration in reaching my decision on whether to adopt the criteria which will inform the future of our health and social care system including: where delivery needs to be improved; or, where the continuation of services in their present form is unsustainable.”

The Minister continued: “It is vital that we get the criteria right at the very beginning of the process to enable a clear and transparent framework for assessing how services are configured in the future.

“At the heart of this is the core aim of ensuring patients receive the best care available the first time every time, resulting in better health outcomes for the patient, with quicker recovery times and less need for follow up care.”

The public meetings will be held at:

• Omagh, Omagh Enterprise Company 08 December 2016, 7.00pm - 9.00pm
• Derry, Millennium Forum 14 December 2016, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Ballycastle, Corrymeela Centre 19 December 2016, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Portadown, Seagoe Hotel  20 December 2016, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Cookstown, Glenavon Hotel  04 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Lisburn, Trinity Community  05 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• North Belfast, Duncairn Centre 09 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Central Belfast, Belfast Central Mission 10 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Coleraine, The Sandel Centre  11 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Downpatrick, The Cricket Club  12 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Newry, Newry Conferencing & Banquet Centre 16 January 2017, 7.00pm -9.00pm
• Enniskillen, Killyhevlin Hotel 17 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
• Ballymena, Adair Arms  18 January 2017, 7.00pm – 9.00pm

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