Celebrations at Stormont to mark 70th anniversary of NHS
The Northern Ireland Confederation of Health and Social Services hosted a reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the Health Service.
Celebrations have been held by representatives from across the political spectrum, patients, clients, staff and charities to mark the 70th anniversary of our health service.
The health service in Northern Ireland is unique in the UK as the only region where it is not led by a minister.
It generally faces the same challenges as in the rest of the UK, with an ageing population, increasingly complex care needs, staffing GP practices and increasing drug costs.
But in celebration of all that it provides, performances were made from Orbit Dance Company, a group of service users and healthcare staff from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, singing from a children’s choir from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, and everyone helped out in eating a big “NHS” letters cake.
Heather Moorhead, Director of the Confederation of Health and Social Care, who hosted today’s event explains:
“Today we are delighted to join colleagues all over the UK in celebrating the Health Service and all it has done for us over the last 70 years. It is the jewel in our crown – it supports people at their time of greatest need and touches everyone at some time in their lives. We have so much to be thankful for.”
“We would like to pay tribute to staff and partners for their commitment to Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. As we know, there are many challenges ahead of us looking to the next 70 years. But there is no doubt that while the challenges are significant, so is our capacity to find solutions and new ways of working as we reform and transform our services for generations to come. Today, reflecting on our past inspires confidence and commitment for the future”
It's no secret that our health service is under extreme pressure, with rising waiting lists and an ageing and growing population.
According to the most recent figures at the end of March, some 83,392 people were waiting longer than a year for their first appointment with a hospital doctor.
And in January last year, GPs wrote an open letter to Stormont politicians warning that many practices were struggling to recruit, to retain family doctors and needed extra funding urgently.
There have also been extraordinary crises, such as during June when more than 3,200 neurology patients were recalled due to queries over a number of diagnosis by the consultant Michael Watt.
Also in June, Dunmurry Manor care home hit the headlines after an investigation by Northern Ireland's Commissioner for Older People found a "horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment''.
Commissioner Eddie Lynch also criticised the health watchdog, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), claiming it had not taken sufficient action.
The RQIA has denied failing in its duty of care to properly investigate.
In 2016, international health expert Rafael Bengoa made a number of recommendations to be implemented over 10 years designed to transform the health service in Northern Ireland to make it fit for the future.
He warned about the "burning platform'' - that the current outdated system will increasingly be unable to cope as pressures increase, challenges intensify and people continue to live longer lives.
His report received cross-party support at that time, but now following the collapse of Stormont in January 2017, there has been no health minister in post to lead the reforms.