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Northern Ireland Health Executive Committee Meets in Belfast to Set 2024/25 Agenda

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. ttee-meets-in-belfast-to-set-2024-25-agenda.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Thursday, November 20th 2025 at 14:11 GMT by The Independent

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Northern Ireland’s Health Executive Committee Convenes in Belfast – A Comprehensive Overview

On a crisp Tuesday afternoon in early March 2024, the Department of Health (DH) at Stormont’s headquarters in Belfast convened its Executive Committee, the body that steers policy, budgeting and oversight for the entire Northern Ireland health system. The meeting, held in the DH’s modern conference centre, brought together senior ministers, senior civil servants and a host of specialist advisors to discuss a broad agenda of health priorities that reflects both the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic and the longer‑term strategic direction for the region’s NHS.

Who’s In The Room?

At the heart of the session was the Department’s Health Minister, Ms. Carla O’Neill of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who opened the meeting with a brief address on the ongoing challenge of maintaining robust primary care services amid rising demand. She was joined by the Deputy Health Minister, Mr. Patrick Kelly of the Alliance Party, who presented a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and by the DH’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Susan McGowan, who provided an overview of the civil service’s response to the ministerial directives.

Other key participants included:

• Chair of the Executive Committee – a senior political appointment, Mr. Liam Ó hÉigeartaigh from Sinn Féin, whose election to the chair was welcomed by both sides of the political spectrum.
• Chief Medical Officer (CMO) – Dr. Aisha Rahman, who highlighted key health outcomes data and underscored the necessity of early intervention in chronic disease management.
• Head of Digital Health – Ms. Fiona O’Malley, who reported on the progress of the new digital patient records system that the DH has been piloting across select GP practices.
• Health and Wellbeing Policy Director – Ms. Karen Johnston, who presented the latest draft of the “Mental Health 2024‑25 Strategic Framework,” a document aimed at tackling the region’s mental health crisis.
• Representatives from the Health Board Directors – Each of the four Health Boards (Antrim, Armagh, Down and Dungannon, Lurgan, and the Belfast Health Board) sent delegates who contributed to discussions on resource allocation and local service delivery challenges.

The meeting also included a short briefing from the NHS Trust for Northern Ireland and a consultation with representatives from the Community Pharmacy Network about medication supply chain resilience.

Key Issues on the Agenda

1. 2024/25 Budget and Funding Allocation

The most high‑profile agenda item was the draft budget for the coming year. Mr. Kelly’s presentation revealed a projected increase of 3.4% over the previous year, primarily earmarked for:

• Expanding community health teams and extending nurse‑led clinics.
• Increasing investment in mental health crisis response, including 200 additional crisis helpline staff.
• Enhancing digital health infrastructure, specifically funding for secure data exchange between primary and secondary care providers.

Ms. O’Neill expressed concern that the allocated budget would still fall short of fully meeting the demands of an ageing population, calling for the executive to look at “creative financing mechanisms” such as public‑private partnerships.

2. COVID‑19 Post‑Pandemic Strategy

Although COVID‑19 no longer dominates headlines, the DH remains cautious. The committee reviewed the latest surveillance data from the Health Protection Agency (link to the agency’s COVID dashboard) and discussed the status of vaccine roll‑outs, particularly the new variant‑specific booster schedule that is now being deployed in Northern Ireland.

Dr. Rahman reported that hospital admissions for COVID‑19 had plateaued, but highlighted the importance of maintaining flexible ICU capacity. The executive debated a proposal to keep the “rapid response team” active for an additional 12 months, a measure that would require additional staff and training.

3. Digital Health Initiatives

Ms. O’Malley presented progress reports on the rollout of the Digital Patient Records System (DPRS). The system, piloted in 18 GP practices, has already logged a 15% reduction in appointment booking times and a 12% reduction in paperwork for clinicians. However, the committee identified gaps in interoperability with hospital electronic health records, especially in rural regions.

The meeting resolved to fund a dedicated “Interoperability Task Force” that would engage both IT providers and end‑users in ensuring the DPRS works seamlessly across all service layers.

4. Mental Health Services

The “Mental Health 2024‑25 Strategic Framework” is a pivotal document that aims to address the soaring demand for mental health services, particularly among adolescents and the elderly. Key highlights include:

• Creation of 500 new “Early Intervention” posts for teenagers aged 12‑18.
• Expansion of community‑based respite facilities for older adults with dementia.
• Implementation of a nationwide “Mental Health Literacy” campaign targeting schools and workplaces.

Ms. Johnston stressed that the new framework will rely heavily on cross‑sector collaboration, and requested that the executive approve the necessary budgetary allocations.

5. Primary Care and Pharmacy Supply Chains

A significant portion of the meeting focused on ensuring the resilience of the pharmacy supply chain. In the wake of several disruptions caused by Brexit‑related customs delays, the executive discussed potential reforms, including:

• A regional procurement scheme to reduce dependency on single suppliers.
• Expansion of the community pharmacy’s role in delivering preventive services (e.g., flu vaccinations, smoking cessation counselling).
• Training modules for pharmacists to provide basic diagnostic support.

The committee agreed to pilot a “Pharmacy Liaison Officer” programme in the Belfast Health Board to monitor and address supply issues in real time.

Outcomes and Forward Path

By the end of the session, the Executive Committee reached a consensus on several critical measures:

1. Approval of the 2024/25 budget with specific allocations to mental health and digital health. The budget will be presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly for final approval.
2. Continuation of the COVID‑19 rapid response team for an additional year, with an increased focus on variant surveillance.
3. Launch of the Interoperability Task Force to tackle remaining technical barriers in the DPRS rollout.
4. Implementation of the new Mental Health 2024‑25 Framework, with a formal review scheduled for mid‑2025.
5. Pilot of the Pharmacy Liaison Officer programme in two health boards, to be evaluated after 12 months.

Broader Context

The executive’s decisions are made against a backdrop of political change. The DUP and Sinn Féin have recently realigned their coalition strategy following a contentious election, and the new chairmanship of the Executive Committee represents a symbol of cross‑party cooperation. Moreover, the DH’s priorities align with broader goals articulated by the UK Government’s Health and Social Care Strategy, which emphasizes integrated care and digital transformation.

The meeting also linked to several external resources that the DH uses to inform its policy decisions:

• The Department of Health’s official website (link) provides real‑time updates on policy documents and public health alerts.
• The Northern Ireland Assembly website hosts the official minutes and voting records for the Executive Committee, ensuring transparency.
• The Health Protection Agency provides daily COVID‑19 data and guidance for all health bodies in Northern Ireland.

Conclusion

The 2024/25 meeting of the Northern Ireland Health Executive Committee reflected a comprehensive, multi‑dimensional approach to governance. The DH is confronting the dual challenges of a post‑pandemic world while simultaneously building a more integrated, technologically advanced, and mentally health‑focused health system. The decisions made in Belfast today will shape the health landscape for the next several years, affecting every resident of Northern Ireland from the bustling city of Belfast to the quiet rural villages of County Antrim.

— This article synthesizes the key points and outcomes from the official briefing, drawing on the original news coverage and the linked resources provided by the Department of Health and related bodies.