Multi-million pound lifeline for NI's crisis-hit health service
The Department of Health announces funding for GPs and Daisy Hill ED
Last updated 11th Jun 2018
The Department of Health is to invest more than £10 million to help resolve the current health crisis.
Just under £9m will be pumped into GPs services, bringing this year’s total investment in GPs and related services to nearly £22million, the largest funding allocation for General Practice in NI since 2004.
The £8.8million announced today includes £4.54million for the Practice Based Pharmacist scheme, which is freeing up GP time and together with community pharmacy is helping ensure the safe and effective use of medicines for better patient care. By the end of the year, there will be close to 200 pharmacists working across practices in Northern Ireland.
In addition, £1.8million will be used to address demographic pressures on GP Practices, such as rising populations and more people with long term conditions who need care. A further £1million has been allocated to address the rising costs of medical indemnity cover.
The Department has also identified £1.5million to improve and expand practice premises. This funding will be focussed on supporting practices to create the space for multi-disciplinary teams and to ensure they have the space to train the increased numbers of GPs trainees.
This £8.8million is in addition to the £15million targeted towards enhancing primary care from the £100million Transformation Fund announced on 9 May 2018, which will help GPs find new ways of working and support the implementation of multi-disciplinary teams.
This builds on £9.7million of investment made in GP services in 2017/18, which was itself the largest investment in recent years.
Meanwhile, a road-map for the future of Daisy Hill Hospital’s Emergency Department is now a reality - thanks to a meaningful partnership between the local community, workforce and the health and social care system.
The Department of Health has confirmed details of an investment package as part of a long-term plan to sustain and bolster urgent and emergency care at the Newry hospital.
It includes an initial £650,000 this year from the Department’s health and social care transformation fund.
The package also includes a £1 million capital funding allocation this year from the Southern Trust, to improve infrastructure at the hospital site.
Last year, the Southern Trust highlighted difficulties in maintaining a safe and sustainable Emergency Department service at Daisy Hill, due to difficulties in staffing a viable consultant rota.
This led to the establishment of the Daisy Hill Hospital Pathfinder Group (DHHPG) as a mechanism for engagement with the local workforce and community to develop a viable response to the situation.
The Pathfinder Group’s work has led to the investment package confirmed today.
Department of Health Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly said: “Co-production is much more than just a buzzword in health and social care.
“It means working step by step with those who deliver and use services to build for the future by sharing the evidence about how best to meet the healthcare needs of local populations and taking the right decisions for the right reasons.
“Today’s Daisy Hill Hospital announcement shows co-production in action – and delivering for everyone.
“Great credit and thanks must go to the Pathfinder Group, and to the workforce and community representatives who have helped make this happen.”
Southern Trust chief executive Shane Devlin said: “We are delighted that today investment to support urgent care in the Newry and Mourne area has been confirmed by the Department. This is the first stage of a viable long-term plan.
“All of us involved in the Pathfinder process wanted the same thing – a service that would be sustainable for years to come.
“The support, engagement and enthusiasm of the local community, working alongside our staff, has been key to helping us to firstly secure local services, and to then work with us to develop a plan that will transform our services to meet the specific needs of the local population.
“We have developed a model for services that reflects what the local community needs – and the support of the Department of Health shows their confidence in this ground-breaking process.”
The £650,000 investment involves: transforming and modernising services for patient assessment, diagnostics, discharge and care in the community; strengthening primary care and links between primary and secondary care; diversifying and strengthening the workforce; ensuring that the existing hospital-based services are secured; and investing in the leadership at Daisy Hill Hospital through the appointment of a new director for the hospital.
Thanks to the Southern Trust’s £1million capital investment a new admissions and assessment unit will be established alongside the Emergency Department.
This will help ensure attending patients receive the most appropriate care and treatment.