Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

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The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Contents

[edit] About

"The Department’s mission is to improve the health and social well-being of the people of Northern Ireland. It endeavours to do so by ensuring the provision of appropriate health and social care services, both in clinical settings such as hospitals and GPs’ surgeries, and in the community through nursing, social work and other professional services. It also leads a major programme of cross-government action to improve the health and well-being of the population and reduce health inequalities. This includes interventions involving health promotion and education to encourage people to adopt activities, behaviours and attitudes which lead to better health and well-being. The aim is a population which is much more engaged in ensuring its own health and well-being."[1]

The incumbent Minister is Michael McGimpsey (UUP).[2]

[edit] Responsibilities

The Department has three main business responsibilities:

  • Health and Social Care (HSC), which includes policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services and community health and personal social services;
  • Public Health, which covers policy, legislation and administrative action to promote and protect the health and well-being of the population; and
  • Public Safety, which covers policy and legislation for fire and rescue services.

[edit] HSC Boards, HSC Trusts and agencies

[edit] History

Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of Royal Assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on November 19, 1998; a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. The process was known as devolution and was set up to give Northern Ireland devolved legislative powers. DHSSPS is one of 11 devolved Northern Ireland Departments created in December 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

[edit] Ministers for Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Minister Party Took office Left office
    Bairbre de Brún Sinn Féin 29 November 1999 14 October 2002
    Michael McGimpsey Ulster Unionist 8 May 2007

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/about_dept.htm DHSSPS
  2. ^ http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/your-government/devolved-government.htm Northern Ireland Executive

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Northern Ireland Executive
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