WATCH: 'Without change our problems will simply get worse' NI's Permanent Health Secretary says reform is the only way forward
Richard Pengelly urges public help in pushing through transformation
Last updated 16th May 2019
The man in charge of Northern Ireland’s health service appealed for public help today (Wednesday) in exacting real change that will be have long-term impact on patient care.
Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly, who is responsible for pushing through reform in the absence of fully functioning Stormont, says the health service needs reformed if long waiting lists and staffing pressures are to be tackled any time soon.
Launching a progress report today on the transformation so far, he said: “Without reform, staffing challenges will keep growing and bills for agency and locum cover will continue to climb.”
Mr Pengelly’s comments come after warnings from a top senior doctor and the new director of the Royal College of Nursing, that they were experiencing unprecedented staff shortages which was making it impossible to cope with current demand.
“We are clearly living through a defining era in health and social care,” Mr Pengelly said.
“Today’s report charts significant progress in the two and half years since the publication of Delivering Together, the 10-year roadmap for transforming the way services are delivered.
“Without this push for change, the system would now be slipping over the edge into irreversible collapse.”
"Without this push for change, the system would now be slipping over the edge into irreversible collapse.”
Mr Pengelly added that the report is a testament to the commitment and excellence of our staff right across the system.
“We clearly still have a long way go, with serious challenges right across NI,” he said.
“Too many people are waiting too long for care and staff are under immense and growing pressure.
“These problems are serious symptoms of an outdated health and social care system that cannot keep up with growing demand. Without reform, they will get worse year on year.
“The long term answer to hospital waiting lists involves reshaping services to improve capacity and provide more diagnoses and treatments.
“Likewise, staffing pressures are clearly linked to services being spread too thinly across too many locations.”
The update report on Delivering Together details examples of projects taken forward and supported by transformation funding.
As part of the Delivering Together programme, public consultations are being held on reshaping stroke and breast assessment services.
Reviews are also underway in other key areas including urgent and emergency care, oncology, neurology, paediatrics, and day surgery.
The day surgery transformation has already seen prototype elective care centres opened for cataract and varicose veins. The Department is planning a public consultation later this year on plans to transfer thousands of other day case routine operations to dedicated elective care centre locations.
The specialities involved are General Surgery and Endoscopy, Urology, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, ENT, Paediatrics and Neurology.
Another major transformation initiative involves the roll-out of Multi-Disciplinary teams at GP surgeries.
This radical new approach sees GPs working with teams of mental health specialists, physios and other experts to provide local people with the right support, at the right time and in the right place.
The transformation progress report (full and interactive versions) are available online at www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/progressreportintroduction