The Department of Health (DoH, , , ) is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Health.
Until 9 May 2016, the department was previously called the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety ().
Aim DoH's overall aim and mission is to "improve the health and social well-being of the people of Northern Ireland."Northern Ireland Budget 2011–15, page 70
The department launched a new digital strategy in August 2022. It includes the Encompass programme which will create a unified health and care record for the province.
Responsibilities The Minister, assisted by the department, makes policy and legislation in three broad areas: health and social care – hospitals, family practitioner services and community health and personal social services; public health – promoting and protecting the health and well-being of the population; and public safety – the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (commonly known by its former name, the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade) but not the Police Service of Northern Ireland or HM Coastguard.
Some sensitive health policy issues are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved:Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3 human fertilisation and embryology human genetics surrogacy xenotransplantation
In Northern Ireland, abortion law is a criminal justice matter and is devolved.House of Commons, Written answers and statements, 13 July 2009 Since October 2019, abortion has been legal in Northern Ireland, with legal framework coming into effect in March 2020.
DoH's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are: the Department of Health and Social Care; the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (on fire services)
In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are: the Department of Health;Department of Health: About the Department the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (on fire services).Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire and Emergency Services
Health and Social Care organisations The Health and Social Care system in Northern Ireland consists of the following public bodies:
Northern Ireland-wide
Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service Business Services Organisation Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Public Health Agency Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
Sub-regional health and social care trusts
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Northern Health and Social Care Trust South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Southern Health and Social Care Trust Western Health and Social Care Trust
History
Health policy in Northern Ireland was originally a responsibility of local government and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which (similarly to the Home Office) retained responsibility for policy areas not delegated to other ministries.
A separate Ministry of Health and Local Government was established in June 1944, as part of the welfare state. In January 1965, that department was divided between the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The latter ministry was renamed as the Department of Health and Social Services under direct rule, introduced in March 1972. A health and social services ministry was also included in the Northern Ireland Executive briefly established in 1974. The department was responsible for social security policy and its initials DHSS are still used locally to describe benefits and benefit claimants.
Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of royal assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom Government under Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In December 1999, the Department of Health and Social Services was renamed as the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. It gained responsibility for the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade from the Department of the Environment but ceded social security to the Department for Social Development. DHSSPS was therefore one of the six direct rule Northern Ireland departments to continue in existence following devolution, following the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
A devolved minister took office on 2 December 1999. Devolution was suspended for four periods, during which the department came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office: between 12 February 2000Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Commencement) Order 2000 and 30 May 2000;Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2000 on 11 August 2001;Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2001Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2001 on 22 September 2001;Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) (No.2) Order 2001 between 15 October 2002Article 1, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Suspension of Devolved Government) Order 2002 and 8 May 2007.Article 2, Northern Ireland Act 2000 (Restoration of Devolved Government) Order 2007
Since 8 May 2007, devolution has operated without interruption.
Ministers of Health MinisterImagePartyTook officeLeft office Bairbre de Brún 29 November 199911 February 2000 Office suspended Bairbre de Brún 30 May 200014 October 2002Office suspended for 24 hours on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001 Office suspended Michael McGimpsey 14 May 20075 May 2011 Edwin Poots 16 May 2011 23 September 2014 Jim Wells 24 September 2014 11 May 2015 Simon Hamilton 11 May 2015 30 March 2016Resigned on 10 September 2015, re-entered office on 16 Sept. till 17 Sept., then on 23 Sept.-24 Sept, then 28 Sept.-29 Sept., then 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. Following 20 October he permanently occupies the office Office renamed Minister of Health Michelle O'Neill 25 May 2016 2 March 2017 Office suspended Robin Swann 11 January 2020 27 October 2022 Office suspended Robin Swann 3 February 2024 29 May 2024 Mike Nesbitt 29 May 2024 18 August 2026 Robbie Butler 20 August 2026
Direct rule ministers During the periods of suspension, the following ministers of the Northern Ireland Office were responsible for the department:
George Howarth (2000) Des Browne (2002–03) Angela Smith (2003–05) Shaun Woodward (2005–06) Paul Goggins (2006–07)
See also Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Disability in Northern Ireland
References
External links