Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Policy Paper: Health and Social Services
Introduction
Major changes are proposed for the organisation and structure of the Health
and Social Services in Northern Ireland and these proposals are causing
much anxiety for those who currently receive services, for potential users
and all staff.
It is important for the public to have trust and confidence in a service that
most people will use at some time. When any significant change in a service
or facility is contemplated, meaningful consultation should take place within
the community. The reasons for and the implications of any proposed
changes must be adequately explained and the views of patients/clients,
their carer's, voluntary and community groups taken into account before
final decisions are made.
Demand and expectation will always exceed capacity. It is the responsibility
of all those who plan, manage and deliver services to ensure the population
gets the maximum benefit from the services provided.
General Policy Statement
Alliance is fully committed to National Health Service free at the point of
delivery and funded from general taxation. There should be equity of access
to Health and Social Services based on need. Decisions about treatment,
care and resources must be made within a coherent regional strategy, taking
into account the views of community groups. Alliance is committed to
integrated Health and Social Services with the closest possible collaboration
with housing, education, environment and other services that impact on
health and well-being.
Principles:
Alliance will press for:
- Equality of access:
- to assessment
- to investigation
- to treatment
- to care (short and long term)
- High quality care that will deliver quality outcomes is dependent on:
- setting, applying and monitoring professional standards
- responding to patient/client need, taking into account dignity and
individuality
- sufficient and appropriately trained professional and support staff
- up-to-date and well-maintained equipment
- good communication between patient/client and staff
- good communication between hospital, primary care and
community staff
- suitable, well-maintained, secure accommodation for consultation,
treatment and ambulatory care
- service provision with an appropriate time scale for nonemergency
treatment (patients and clients charter)
- identifying and meeting the needs of carer's
- Rapid Response
- by a well equipped ambulance service
- by A & E staff in case of emergency
- by primary care and community care staff for both initial referrals
and following discharge from hospital
Proposed changes in Health and Personal Social Services
- Alliance demands the replacement of the Management Executive
and the four Area Boards with a single streamlined structure.
- Alliance supports the strengthening of integration of Health and
Social Services in Trusts. This will allow the potential of Northern
Irelands Integrated Health and Social Services to be exploited to the
full and would be a major contribution to the delivery of a seamless
service between hospital and community.
- Alliance will aim to ensure meaningful consultation takes place
prior to any major changes/relocation of services. This will avoid
taxpayers' money being spent on judicial reviews.
- Alliance will press for a co-operative approach in the proposed
commissioning arrangements to ensure primary care services are
planned and delivered on a multi-professional basis and in
consultation with those who use services.
- During the consultation process associated with the current
review of acute services Alliance will press for innovative models of
provision which would include reprofiling of local hospitals to help
meet the current deficit in provision and retain local services easily
accessible to local communities.
Food Safety
- Alliance welcomes the establishment of the Food Safety Agency
and views it as a long overdue means of protecting the integrity of the
food chain.
- Alliance accepts the importance of scientific research in all aspects
of life but recognises the widespread concerns of consumers in
relation to GM foods. Alliance is committed to the protection of
organic food production and will press Government to ensure all
substances deriving form genetic modification must not, from the way
they function or are used, present an ethical transgression of the
sanctity of human or animal life.
- Alliance calls on the Assembly to introduce greater controls on the
use of pesticides, antibiotics and growth promoters and rigorous
testing of products offered for sale to ensure residues are within legal
limits
Prevention and Health Promotion
- Whilst Alliance recognises that people have the right to make
choices and have control over their own health, they must be given
information on risk factors and the benefits of changing lifestyles.
- Alliance endorses the Health Promotion Agency's Food and
Nutrition Strategy for Northern Ireland as a framework to promote
health and prevent dietary related diseases.
- Alliance is committed to the provision of NHS dental care.
- Alliance will press for free eye and dental check-ups for all fulltime
students over the age of 19 and will support resources being
used for targeting children in areas of social need who need dental
care.
- Alliance supports a ban on tobacco advertising.
- Alliance calls on the Assembly to introduce legislation to ensure a
smoke-free environment in all workplaces, all catering establishments
and places of entertainment.
Elderly People
- Alliance is disappointed with Governments minimalist response to
the recommendations of The Royal Commission on long-term care.
The delay in introducing free nursing care until October 2001 will
deny many people some relief and the narrow definition of nursing
care is a matter of great concern.
Carers
Drugs
- Alliance will continue to push for elderly people to have the right
to expect access to whatever services they may need in a timely way
without worrying about how they are going to pay and the
implications for their families.
- Alliance believes that people living in residential and nursing
homes are a valuable party of society and should be given the
opportunity to continue to contribute to society.
Carers
- Alliance will work to ensure carer's are recognised and supported
and will press an income which covers the cost of caring.
Drugs
- Alliance will support the therapeutic use of cannabis provided it is
proven to be effective for people with particular medical conditions.
- Alliance is opposed to the legislation of cannabis because of the
known damage to the health of drug abusers and drug related
problems in communities.
- Alliance supports effective harm reduction programmes.
Teenage Pregnancies
- The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western
Europe. In Northern Ireland, in 1998, 27.8% of live births were to
mothers between 15 and 19 years old. Most teenage mothers lives are
blighted and their children disadvantaged. Alliance calls on the
Assembly to give high priority to developing a strategy to reduce the
level of teenage pregnancies.
Travellers and Ethnic minorities
- Alliance believes that all services should be provided in a manner
that respects the wishes of each culture, religion and race.
Private Health Care
- Alliance calls on Government to fulfil its promise to set up
independent regulatory arrangements for healthcare outside the NHS.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Alliance supports strict regulation of practices, products and
inspection of premises.
Staff Issues
- Alliance will urge the Assembly to set up appropriate regional
structure sin advance of implementation of any of the proposed
changes to protect staff, to retain staff where appropriate and
facilitate a smooth transfer.
- Alliance will encourage Universities to identify common elements
of curricula and introduce joint training for Health and Social Services
staff at ground level.
- Alliance will urge the Assembly to ensure everything possible is
done to prepare and protect staff who are in danger of violence form
patients and clients.
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